A 34-year-old man has been jailed for a series of offences including threatening to spit excrement at police officers.

Thomas Fleming also defecated in a police van and smeared himself before putting the waste in his mouth threatening to spit it at officers.

On another occasion, in Fife, he threw metal bars and other objects from an attic down at police while claiming he had a crossbow.

Fleming, formerly of Sauchie and High Valleyfield, appeared by video-link at Alloa Sheriff Court for sentencing for offences going back several years.

He admitted that on December 8 last year at Lochbrae, Sauchie, he shouted, swore and brandished an item at police officers.

At Falkirk police station, he made a threat to petrol bomb Alloa police station, set fire to police vehicles and cause harm to officers and their families.

In a police vehicle, he defecated, smeared excrement on himself, placed it in his mouth and threatened to spit it out, claimed he had an infectious disease and exposed officers to biological hazard.

He also admitted that on January 24, 2019, at Pentland Terrace, High Valleyfield, he repeatedly threw ladders, items of wood, metal bars and other items from an attic down on to police officers, shouted, swore, made threats of violence, said he was in possession of a crossbow, brandished a piece of wood at officers and struggled with them.

He further admitted a road rage incident in Dunfermline on April 28, 2017, at Aberdour Road where he shouted, swore and acted aggressively.

Defence solicitor Larissa Milligan said of the Sauchie incident: "He took cocaine and then a significant quantity of Valium. His recollection of events is limited but he remembers being attacked by a group.

"He thought the police were members of that group who had run him off the road. He was somewhat paranoid at the time."

He had made suicide threats by phone earlier, then brandished a mallet at police officers, added the solicitor.

"His behaviour afterwards is nothing other than mortifying. He says he is disgusted by it," she went on.

"He was taken to Forth Valley Hospital for a mental health assessment, but couldn't be admitted because of his behaviour.

"He knows he is the author of his own misfortune."

Sheriff Craig Harris jailed Fleming for 430 days backdated to December 10 as he has been in custody since then.