A PEEBLES man who admitted two assaults has been ordered to pay a total of £370 at Selkirk Sheriff Court.

Forty-three-year-old Paul Thompson pleaded guilty to the offences which happened in the space of five months in Witchwood Crescent, Peebles.

On April 16 last year Thompson had been drinking whisky in the garden of a friend who advised him he was going to bed and an argument development with Thompson striking him to the head leaving a mark.

On September 16 last year police received a request for assistance from the ambulance service regarding a man who was lying injured and bleeding heavily.

The court heard Thompson had suffered a seizure and fell through a glass table suffering significant lacerations to his foot.

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However he refused to go with paramedics and was pretending he was sleeping when they arrived.

When police officers arrived Thompson reacted aggressively and struck one of the officers saying: “Don’t touch me”.

He was taken to Borders General Hospital and made no reply to caution and charge.

Defence lawyer Ross Dow said: “On both occasions he had been drinking. He had been drinking more due to his health being in decline and he suffers from epilepsy.”

Thompson, who receives £350 a week in Employment Support Allowance and Personal Independent Payment, was fined £100 and ordered to pay his friend £50 in compensation for the assault.

He was fined £200 for assaulting the police officer with a £20 victim surcharge imposed.