A MAN committed a series of vandalism acts and assaults after drinking too much alcohol at a barbecue in the Borders, Selkirk Sheriff Court has been told.

Shane Donnelly, 22, pleaded guilty to a total of 10 offences which were committed after he was escorted away from the barbecue in the Church Hill area of Greenlaw on the evening of May 29 last year.

Depute fiscal Miriam Clark said the event had started at around noon but at around 9pm Donnelly had clearly had too much to drink and had become aggressive and started to shout.

He was told to calm down and drink some water but as he walked onto the roadway he punched the wing mirror of a parked car causing £400 damage.

He then walked over to a Volkswagen Passat and punched the wing mirror causing damage estimated between £300 and £400.

Donnelly headed into East High Street and punched a house window causing it to shatter at a cost of £100.

He was approached by a local resident carrying a bottle of beer who had come out to investigate his car window being smashed.

Ms Clark said the accused shouted, ‘What are you looking at?’ and had his fest clenched.

She continued: "The resident stepped onto the roadway to get out of his way but the accused knocked the bottle out of his hand and pushed the witness to the ground.

"The witness tried to stand up but the accused repeatedly kicked him. The accused picked up the bottle and struck the man twice on the head which caused two large bruises on his scalp."

The fiscal said two males who had come from the barbecue and were trying to calm Donnelly down apologised for his behaviour and were told to get him away from the house.

The victim went back into his home and phoned the police while Donnelly continued to punch front doors.

Another man appeared and Donnelly raised his fist in an aggressive manner towards him and punched him multiple times.

A scuffle developed and the man's wife came out of her home but without warning Donnelly punched her on the side of the head with a clenched fist.

The man then restrained Donnelly to try and stop him from hitting anyone else and he was assisted by the two males from the barbecue.

The police arrived at 10.45pm and Donnelly was handcuffed but he started lashing out violently with his legs at police constables.

Leg restraints had to be put on Donnelly by two officers who were assisted by an unknown member of the public.

Donnelly continued to act in an aggressive manner on the journey to St Leonards Police Station in Edinburgh as he continued to bang his head against the cage.

He continued to struggle in the police station car park and in his cell before it was decided to take him to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary as a precautionary measure.

Donnelly was placed in a wheelchair but was spitting at police officers and eventually a spit hood had to be put on him.

Inside the hospital Donnelly hurled vile racial abuse at medical staff.

The fiscal said it took over an hour to calm Donnelly down in the hospital so that they could get details from him.

He eventually told them he was under the influence of alcohol and he was eventually discharged and held in custody at St Leonards.

The fiscal said that Donnelly had paid for the damage he had caused to the vehicles in Greenlaw with the exception of one motorist who was still £200 out of pocket from having to pay the excess for the damage to her car.

Donnelly appeared on a separate complaint where he admitted three offences by contacting a former partner in Galashiels he was banned from contacting.

He also admitted two breaches of the Communications Act by making offensive and threatening comments.

Defence lawyer Ed Hulme said his client recognised the seriousness of his actions.

He pointed out at the time of the offending his lifestyle was chaotic and he had been sleeping at the homes of friends or in the street.

Mr Hulme said Donnelly knew most of the people involved in the Greenlaw offences and had paid for most of the repairs.

He explained that none of the assaults resulted in serious injuries and admitted Donnelly’s behaviour at the hospital was "unpleasant" and he said the first things that came into his head.

Mr Hulme said that given Donnelly's young age, limited record, mental health and difficult upbringing, a community disposal could be imposed as an alternative to custody.

But Sheriff Peter Paterson said: "This is a catalogue of appalling behaviour.

“Even putting aside the assaults on a series of strangers, the conduct in my mind would merit a custodial sentence."

Sheriff Paterson deferred sentence on Donnelly, who now has a new partner and lives in Berwick-upon-Tweed, until May 18 to allow the defence to obtain a mental health report from Huntlyburn Hospital.