AN Erskine man ended up in court after losing the plot on a night out.

Craig Smith, 23, swore at police and resisted arrest as he was restrained in Argyle Street, Glasgow, on September 3 last year.

When he appeared in the dock at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Thursday, Smith’s lawyer explained that her client had been antagonised by the brother of a killer who murdered his friend.

The court heard how police were alerted to Smith's drunken behaviour at 3am and, when they approached him, were told his mum was on her way to collect him.

When she arrived, he was escorted to her car but became increasingly aggressive towards officers.

A decision was made to arrest Smith but he began to resist and had to be restrained against a wall.

Eventually, he was taken to a police van, where he swore at officers and told one: “Go back to England.”

Smith was taken to Govan police station, where he was unable to be cautioned and charged due to his intoxicated state.

Smith’s defence solicitor explained that her client’s friend was murdered in 2021 and he had witnessed the killing.

She added: “Prior to that, he was in full-time employment. Since then, his mental health has declined significantly and he’s found himself unable to work. He’s been diagnosed with PTSD.

“He was in a venue in Glasgow and the perpetrator’s brother was also at this venue. He was being antagonised by this individual and others they were with. A scuffle broke out and they were ejected from the venue.

“This caused him to think about what he witnessed and had flashbacks. He turned to excessive drinking.

“When he left the venue, he had already phoned his mother to collect him.”

The lawyer added that Smith accepts responsibility for the offence.

She said: “He is extremely embarrassed. He only has one previous conviction, a road traffic offence.”

Sheriff Bernard Ablett deferred sentencing for Smith to be of good behaviour.

He told him: “Come back in six months’ time. If you have been of good behaviour, I’ll deal with this on a more lenient basis than what I would usually do.”

Smith will return to court in August.