A DRUNK man assaulted a woman and threw a gin bottle at a car as it was being driven in Tillicoultry.

The "atrocious" antics of John Alexander outside a Co-op store have resulted in a jail sentence after the 53-year-old appeared at Alloa Sheriff Court on Thursday, January 20.

Alexander admitted that on January 18, last year at the Co-op store, High Street, Tillicoultry, he acted aggressively, shouted, swore, made threats of violence whilst brandishing a bottle, grabbed a woman by the clothing and pushed her on the body.

He also threw the bottle of gin at the windscreen of a car being driven there causing the windscreen to break.

He further admitted at the Co-op and on the way to Falkirk police station he acted in a racially abusive manner and repeatedly shouted racially offensive remarks.

He also refused to take a breath test, the court heard.

Susannah Hutchison, prosecuting, said the incident began outside the Co-op store at around 4.30pm when Alexander was seen staggering about in the car park waving a bottle of gin above his head.

There were concerns that Alexander, of Hill Street, Tillicoultry, would drive away in a car as he was highly intoxicated.

He was attempting to get into a vehicle which was not his and was told it was the wrong car.

He shouted back at a man: "Get me in that f****** car or else. You take your f****** mask off and I'll take my hat off and we'll have a go right here."

A woman who had spoken to shop staff about Alexander returned back outside and asked him if he needed help.

She was grabbed and pushed by Alexander, who said: "F*** off or I'm going to skelp you off the head with this" – referring to the gin bottle.

Shop staff took the woman to safety as Alexander continued to shout and swear, holding the bottle over his head.

He then threw the bottle at a vehicle which was being driven out of the car park, smashing the windscreen.

Another driver was in his car when Alexander tried to get in the passenger door, shouting and swearing.

In "panic and fear" he drove off and Alexander fell to the ground, added the depute.

When police arrived, they found Alexander still shouting at members of the public and after being arrested he started racially abusing one of the officers.

Defence solicitor Stan Quirk said his client was "ashamed of his actions".

Sheriff Neil Bowie told Alexander: "Your conduct was atrocious."

He then jailed him for six months and banned him from driving for 15 months.