A FORMER soldier who was involved in a drunken confrontation with police outside a Galashiels superstore has been fined £300 at Selkirk Sheriff Court.

Corrie Stanners of Cherry Park, Tweedbank, appeared from custody and admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, shouting and swearing and challenging officers to fight at Tesco on Monday night.

Fiscal Kirsty Lyons said police on mobile patrol noticed earlier that the 22-year-old was intoxicated and had given him a warning about his conduct, advising him to go home.

But they later came across Stanners in Tesco car park naked from the waist up, wearing no shoes and goading officers to fight.

Eventually they had to use CS spray on him and put him in handcuffs.

Stanners had appeared in court earlier that day and had been given a community pay back order with supervision.

Defence lawyer Mat Patrick said Stanners was ex-army and suffered from post traumatic stress disorder and had obvious difficulties with alcohol.

Sheriff Peter Paterson warned Stanners that although he may have PTSD, he had played that card before and added: "This sort of behaviour will not be tolerated."

Stanners' co-accused Holly Connolly, 23, of Scott Street, Galashiels, also appeared from custody and pleaded not guilty to a charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, shouting and swearing, acting in an aggressive manner and attempting to impede the arrest of Stanners.

A trial date was fixed for December 20.