Drunk war vet threatened to 'kill' police officers

John Ritchie, 48, of 3 Park Street, launched the drunken tirade after coming home from holiday, where he had fallen out with his family over his drinking.

He appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court last Wednesday for three offences committed on July 25.

Ritchie admitted that at an address in Rose Street, he behaved in a threatening or abusive manner, shouted, swore, repeatedly struck a door and demanded entry.

He further admitted that at his address, he behaved in a threatening or abusive manner, shouted, swore and uttered threats of violence; and assaulted a police constable, then in the execution of his duty, and punched him on the head to his injury.

The court heard that Ritchie had gone to his partner's home in Rose Street around 9.30pm.

Fiscal depute Craig Donald said: “The complainer heard banging and shouting. She recognised the accused's voice. He persisted in his demands to gain entry.

“He was refused entry. His behaviour frightened the complainer and she called 999.”

Ritchie then returned to his home. Police attended and at that time heard him shout, “F*** off, I'm going to batter you.”

He then shouted to officers, “I'm going to kill the first one that comes up,” and “I will make sure none of you have any babies, I swear to God I will do you.”

Officers approached him and he punched one of them on the side of the face.

Police arrested him and took him to Dunfermline Police Station. To the first charge, Ritchie told officers, “Guilty as charged,” and “Guilty, I can't deny it” to the second. Of the assault, he said: “I'm truly sorry for that.”

Solicitor Stephen Morrison said a fight had developed towards the end of the family's holiday about Ritchie's drinking.

The family had come home a day or two before him, and Ritchie went round when he returned.

Mr Morrison continued: “He had been drinking and went round in his drunken condition to try and mend fences, but only made matters worse.”

He said Ritchie was arrested around 10pm, and “at that point he said, can you tell that policeman I'm sorry, I never meant to hit him”.

Of the assault, Mr Morrison explained: “What seems to have caused him to commit the offence is that when police officers entered the property to do their job, his 80-year-old mother was knocked out of the way and stumbled to the side.”

Sheriff Charles Macnair pointed out that Ritchie had made threats of violence, but Mr Morrison said Ritchie had had “no intention to take the threats to the next level”.

He added: “What he did was in response to his mum being bundled to the side and stumbling.

“He took a single punch. He describes his own behaviour as deplorable.

“He's remorseful and was in the process of writing to the officer by way of an apology. ”

He said Ritchie suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, due to the combination of “unfortunate sights” in the Gulf War and 19 years as a recovery driver.

Mr Morrison continued: “He had been in the army for four years and seen active service with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

“He then worked as a breakdown recovery driver, attending several fatal accidents.

“He remains in a relationship with his partner, and he's back on his medication, which he hadn't been taking on holiday.”

Sheriff Macnair blasted Ritchie's offences as “the culmination of a build-up of your consumption of alcohol on holiday”.

He said: “This was very frightening for your partner. When police attended, you threatened them with severe violence, and you then carried out that threat and punched an officer.

“Punching an officer is a very serious matter. The police are entitled to the protection of the court and the normal sentence, even for a first offender, is a period of custody.”

He imposed a community payback order with 18 months' supervision, and 180 hours of unpaid work to be completed in six months.

Sheriff Macnair warned: “If you offend in this way again and do not comply with the order, then you could probably expect a custodial sentence.”