A THIEF accused a police officer of being a member of al Qaida then spat at him.
Frank Watt, 29, of Pitalpin Court, also threatened PC Jaspal Chita with violence, saying he was “going to get” the officer and his family.
Watt then shouted lines from the Braveheart movie as he was taken to the cells at police HQ, West Bell Street.
Fiscal depute Isma Mukhtar told the court the incident started at 7.30pm on June 11. Police were called to the Seagate area after Watt had behaved aggressively towards various staff at pubs there.
The fiscal said: “Officers found the accused heavily under the influence of alcohol and aggressive.
“When PC Chita approached him, he said ‘You’re a member of al Qaida’.
“He was arrested and, as he was being led to a police van, he turned to PC Chita and said ‘I’ll remember your face. I’m going to get you and your family’.”
Watt continued to verbally abuse PC Chita and behave aggressively throughout the journey to police headquarters.
Once at the charge bar area, he began reciting lines from Braveheart and spat at PC Chita.
He continued this as he was led to the cells.
Ross Donnelly, defending, said: “He has difficulty with authority and a difficulty with alcohol.
“He is unable to control his behaviour when he is under the influence.”
Watt admitted acting in a racially aggravated manner which caused or was intended to cause PC Jaspal Chita alarm and distress by shouting racist remarks to him and uttering threats of violence regarding him and his family on June 11.
And he admitted assaulting the same PC Jaspal Chita by spitting at him, at police headquarters, on the same date.
He further admitted stealing £645 worth of clothing from ML, Reform Street, on August 15 last year.
Sheriff Alastair Brown said: “Someone who accuses a police officer of being a member of al Qaida and threatens their family with violence is a threat to the public.
“You recognise you have a problem and have self-referred yourself for treatment and you have the support of your employer.
“That is the only thing that allows me to step away from a prison sentence.”
Watt was placed on a four-month curfew, confining him to his home address between 7pm and 6am daily.
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