A ‘DAMAGED hero’ has been given four months to be of good behaviour after he admitted threatening to assault a number of police officers last year.

Stuart Beaton, who was in the army for 23 years and served in Northern Ireland among other places, was drinking in the Abercromby Arms, Tullibody, on December 8 last year when he became aggressive.

The court heard that he was then asked to leave by a barman which he refused to do. An hour later, he was still refusing to leave at which point the barman escorted Beaton from the premises and locked the door as he was attempting to get back in.

The depute fiscal told Alloa Sheriff Court last Monday: “The police were called and when they arrived they saw the accused being aggressive.

"He was told he must leave the area, to which he responded: ‘I am going f*****g nowhere.’

“He continued: ‘I am going to punch f**k out that c***. You are going to need to arrest me. Two punches and he would be in the hospital. I am a black belt, it’ll take more than you two [to arrest him].’

“More police were required to put the accused in the van as he was still being threatening.

"He then began struggling and resisting arrest. He then said: ‘I will fight like f**k, you c***s’.”

The court then heard that Beaton calmed down before threatening the officers again when travelling to the police station in Falkirk.

When they arrived, Beaton told the officers dealing with his property during a custody search: “If you break that I will break you.”

Christine Kelly, representing the 46-year-old, said her client was a truck driver who was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a consequence of his military background.

She added: “There is a difficult background and has been working with Combat Stress.”

Sheriff David Mackie was handed a letter from Combat Stress which outlined the difficulties Beaton had been suffering from at the time of the offence.

The sheriff told Beaton, Finglen Crescent, Tullibody,: “You are a damaged hero of ours. You are not here to be punished, you are here to be helped.”

Sentence was deferred for four months to be of good behaviour.