Dingwall man's threatening behaviour and racial abuse of police officer leads to court appearance
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A Dingwall man kicked off after a man laying tiles in a house nearby nearby asked him to keep the noise down late in the evening last December.
Darren Kennedy (29) became abusive and threatening towards the man by repeatedly shouting and swearing and challenging him to fight.
This was heard at Inverness Sheriff Court this week when Kennedy appeared on indictment via video link from Inverness Prison where he is in custody.
Fiscal depute Robert Weir said Kennedy was visiting friends in Fingal Road last December 17 when he was approached about the noise at 9.24pm.
He put his beer on a fence before beginning his alarming behaviour, said Mr Weir.
The police then became involved and this led to Kennedy facing a charge of acting in a racially aggravated manner towards PC Daniel Zaborowski by making racial remarks to him then uttering threats to harm his family.
This began in Fingal Road, then continued in the police vehicle taking him into custody, and at Burnett Road Police Station in Inverness in the early hours of last December 18.
Mr Weir said the remarks to PC Zaborowski included "Are you Polish? Go back to your country."
Mr Weir added: "Kennedy also told the officer he did not wish to be held by him because he was Polish, stated he would assault his mother and called him various obscene names."
The court was told Kennedy was kept under close observation in his cell and was seen by officers to take off his T-shirt and put it round his neck.
Mr Weir said two officers entered the cell to intervene and he assaulted PC Zaborowski by barging into him. As Kennedy was being restrained on his mattress, he attempted to bite the officer's hand and kick him.
Kennedy admitted four charges – acting in a threatening or abusive manner; acting in a racially aggravated manner; police assault and culpably and recklessly spitting on PC Aaron Mackenzie in the cell by shouting in his face.
Solicitor Marc Dickson, defending, told Sheriff Gary Aitken that Kennedy had a "poor" record of previous convictions, and that possibly there was only one disposal.
Sheriff Aitken however agreed to defer sentence until May 10 for criminal justice and social work reports.
