A cocaine-fuelled driver ate his own house keys after being arrested for ramming his girlfriend’s car.
Gerard Laughland, 37, slammed his Peugeot Partner estate into Justine McPherson’s Renault Clio at her home in Cardross Street, Glasgow.
A watching neighbour described Laughland’s driving as “crazy” and he was later arrested at his home in Falkirk.
As PC Callum Parnell was trying to get his house keys out of his pocket to lock up before taking him to the police station, Laughland began to struggle. “He then showed PC Parnell the inside of his mouth and said he had eaten his keys, prosecutor Danielle McDonald told Falkirk Sheriff Court.
He was taken to the Forth Valley Royal Hospital where he raged, kicked out, bit PC Parnell twice after claiming to have hepatitis, and spat on the hospital floor after claiming to have Covid.
Two more officers arrived and he called them “English b*****ds”. He also called officers “pigs”, and other offensive words, and called one officer a Nazi and “a Jew killer”.
An X-ray confirmed Laughland had indeed swallowed his keys. He was treated for this, but refused to have a blood test to ascertain what risk PC Parnell was facing, telling staff, “Nah, let the cops sweat.”
PC Parnell had to have antibiotics, an anti-hepatitis injection, and three blood tests, over a period of six months. Laughland of Firs Street, Falkirk, admitted dangerous driving, police assault, and breach of the peace aggravated by prejudice related to disability and race on April 4, 2021.
Stephen Biggam, defending, said Laughland had “a total breakdown of control”.
He added: “He had developed a very bad cocaine problem.”
Jailing Laughland for 10 months and imposing a year’s driving ban, Sheriff Craig Harris described his behaviour as “vile”.
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