A drunken man missed his grandfather’s funeral after headbutting the inside of a police vehicle following his arrest.
Bleeding profusely, Adam Blyth was taken to Borders General Hospital where he obstructed two nurses, shouted and swore, and threw chairs.
Blyth was sentenced to a six-month community payback order and 180 hours of unpaid work, with a warning that any lapse could cost him his liberty.
The 22-year-old, of Orchard Park, Kelso, admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at Rosewood Gardens in the town on June 9 and hindering staff at the hospital.
Tessa Bradley, prosecuting at Friday’s sitting of Jedburgh Sheriff Court, said Blyth became upset during the early hours of the morning through “a combination of alcohol and a recent death in the family”.
Police turned up after a report of two men shouting in the street and tried to speak to Blyth.
“Efforts to calm him down were unsuccessful and he struggled as officers tried to arrest him, and he had to be taken to the ground,” explained Ms Bradley.
Blyth was handcuffed and began headbutting the side of the police vehicle and banging his head on the road.
The prosecutor went on: “A caged vehicle was requested and he was transferred to that, but continued to bang his head on the cage on the way to Kelso police station. He was bleeding profusely, so an ambulance was called and he was released to medical staff and taken to BGH for treatment, as he had calmed down.”
As a nurse tried to treat him, Blyth became obstructive and started shouting and swearing. He then began throwing chairs about and police assistance was requested.
Blyth eventually received four staples to a cut.
The accused’s solicitor, describing his client as “a chastened young man”, said: “He should not have consumed the quantity of alcohol that he did. His grandfather had died and, as a direct result of this behaviour, he missed the funeral.”