AN ALLOA man has been given a six-month prison term after launching a drunken tirade at charity fund-raisers.

Jamie Burns (29) was observed shouting at two Shelter Scotland workers as they stood on the High Street in Alloa last month.

He told them they should be wearing protective clothing as they were “getting stabbed” before further expressing his disliking for the charity itself.

Burns appeared from custody at Alloa Sheriff Court last Thursday (25 June) to face sentencing for the offence and unrelated assault matter which took place in April.

Depute fiscal Claire Bremner said the two complainers had arrived in Alloa town centre on May 14 to help raise funds for the homeless charity.

She told the court that Burns approached them and “appeared to be under the influence”.

He told one of the complainers that she should be wearing a stab-proof vest because she was “getting stabbed”.

Ms Bremner added: “The accused then started to rant about how much he disliked Shelter.

“The complainers then removed their red Shelter jackets and telephoned police for assistance. Both were clearly shaken by the incident.” The court also heard how Burns had been released from custody just three days before the offence took place.

He had previously spent more than a month on remand for assaulting his sister and struggling violently with police officers.

His defence lawyer, Alistair Burleigh, told the court that his client had been accused of being in possession of a mobile phone belonging to his brother – something Burns had refuted.

Mr Burleigh then expressed his surprise at Burns having verbally abused Shelter employees as he himself had been living rough at some point in his life.

He said: “There is a different side to Mr Burns, one that these people on the street were faced with on 14 May.

“He was under the influence of alcohol and made some reference to stabbing though he feels its possible he was misunderstood.

“However, he clearly alarmed these people and he accepts that.

“My overall plea is that he be given the benefit of supervision within the community, which would be the most appropriate way of dealing with the matter and avoiding any repetition in the future.” Burns assaulted his sister by biting her on the leg to injury, at Tarragon House in Alloa on 16 April 2015.

He was arrested soon after on charges of assaulting his brother, by repeatedly punching him on the head to his injury, inside Alloa Police Station on the same day.

He was further charged with behaving in a threatening and abusive manner and struggling violently with police officers.

He appeared from custody the next day and was remanded in custody.

On May 11 he pleaded guilty to assaulting his sister and struggling with police, while the other two charges were dropped.

However, on May 14 he verbally abused the two Shelter workers and was arrested the following day.

He was then placed on remand again on 18 May before being sentenced last week.

Sheriff Gillian Wade told Burns: “I consider the offence against the two people from Shelter to be the most serious. They were simply going about their business and you threatened them in a very unpleasant manner.” She then handed him a six-month sentence for that offence, backdated until 18 May when he was first placed on remand.

In respect of the assault charge he was given 18 months’ supervision to help reintegrate him into the community when he is released later this year.