A MAN has been fined £540 after admitting to assaulting and throwing a lighter at a policeman and calling another “a speccy c***”.

Robbie Ewan Graham, 25, of Millside Meadow in Kilbirnie, appeared at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last week where he pleaded guilty to assaulting a police constable and to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.

The court heard that at around 10.20pm on Saturday, September 10, police attended Kilbirnie’s Main Street after CCTV detected what appeared to be ongoing antisocial behaviour.

One of the officers had just left the police vehicle and was walking round the front of it when Graham threw a disposable lighter at him.

The object struck the policeman on the leg and also struck the vehicle.

Officers asked Graham why he threw the lighter and he became abusive towards them, shouting: “I never f****** did anything”.

Police noted that Graham was intoxicated at the time.

Graham was arrested and the verbal abuse continued on the way to Saltcoats Police Station.

The court heard that Graham was calling one of the officers “a speccy c***” along with other phrases.

Defending Graham, solicitor Mr Nicol insisted that his client regretted the incident.

He said that Graham only behaved in the manner he did because he was drunk.

He also stressed that his client was a hard worker and that he was not likely to be seen at court again.

The defence lawyer said: “He was out with a group of friends and had far, far too much to drink. Police said he was visibly intoxicated. He can’t understand why he did what he did.

“He’s not someone regularly going out and getting blind drunk and getting into trouble.

“He can only apologise to the officer in question about his behaviour but it is simply the amount of drink he had consumed.”

Sentencing Graham, Sheriff Iona McDonald said: “Mr Graham I have no doubt it was the alcohol which led you to behave like this.

“You were so drunk you thought it was ok to throw something at people just trying to do their job.”

Graham was fined £360 on charge one and £180 on charge two, to be paid at a rate of £20 a week.