Glasgow factory worker, caught with drugs, tried to bite police inspector at T in the Park
A factory worker tried to bite a police inspector as he brawled with officers who caught him with a bag of Ecstasy at T in the Park.
A factory worker tried to bite a police inspector as he brawled with officers who caught him with a bag of Ecstasy at T in the Park.
Joshua Cleary - who grappled with five officers after being caught with £750 worth of the Class A drug - was ordered to carry out 265 hours unpaid work yesterday.
Perth Sheriff Court was told that Cleary, 20, is due to start work on a Community Safety Partnership project with Celtic Football Club's Foundation charity today.
The court was told that Clearly was on bail - for a JP court case which was subsequently dropped - when he was seen picking up a bag in the Slam Tent at the music festival.
When the bag was recovered from him it was found to contain 75 Ecstasy pills. Cleary said he planned to use the entire stash for his own consumption during the festival weekend.
Cleary spat on a festival security officer and police reinforcements had to be called in until he was eventually brawling with five different officers to avoid being detained.
Cleary, of Glasgow, admitted that on 9 July 2016 in the Slam Tent at T in the Park he assaulted police inspector Anton Stephenson and attempted to bite him on the body.
He admitted resisting five police officers and struggling violently with them, and assaulting David Brown, acting in the course of his employment, by spitting at him. He also admitted having Ecstasy.
Fiscal depute Lisa Marshall told the court: "He dropped a bag and picked it up which raised suspicions. He was taken to the police van and spat on one of the security officers.
"He was arrested and began to struggle and resist, kicking out violently. Police put him in the prone position and more officers were summoned.
"He still continued to kick out, hitting his head off the van, and pepper spray was deployed to get the van door shut. He was take to the first aid tent for treatment."
Solicitor Martin McInnes, defending, said Cleary had been given the opportunity to get involved with the project run by the Celtic FC Foundation charity.
"He has it in him to change his ways. The well documented programme Celtic FC offer in conjunction with the Community Safety Partnership would seem to be the right way for him to go."
Mr McInnes said Cleary's family were supportive and his mother had sent him to live with his grandparents to avoid the "cronies" who were a bad influence upon him.
Sheriff Gillian Wade said: "It is a quite substantial amount of Ecstasy. You are standing at the door of a prison sentence." She imposed unpaid hours as a direct alternative to prison.