AN ALEXANDRIA man has been jailed after telling his dog to attack two police officers as they tried to arrest him.

William Douglas kicked and spat on the cops as he was being taken from Colquhoun Drive in Alexandria to Clydebank police office.

Though Douglas’s solicitor tried to argue that the offence, while “unacceptable”, was not the worst in the world, a sheriff decided prison was the only option.

The 38-year-old’s nine-month sentence was backdated to July, when he was first remanded in custody after being arrested.

Douglas was sentenced at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on December 14 after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting, swearing, uttering offensive and threatening remarks to the two police officers, and ordering his dog to attack them, and repeatedly kicking and spitting inside a police vehicle.

Defence lawyer Gail Campbell said: “The matter before the court is not the worst charge I have ever heard.

“It is completely inappropriate conduct towards the police officers, but in the grand scheme of things nobody was injured or attacked by a dog.

“Even his behaviour in the police van is not the worst this court will have ever heard.”

Ms Campbell said Douglas’s behaviour could be blamed on a “flash of temper” after he had been drinking, and said her client’s criminal behaviour had slowed down remarkably.

Sheriff William Gallacher said: “Your behaviour on this occasion was utterly reprehensible.

“I am not prepared to disregard the offence. You need to live up to the promises that your lawyer makes on your behalf.

“When you are out you actually grasp that when you have alcohol near you, you behave irresponsibly and you do something you shouldn’t.”