A MAN who was caught with pills in his mouth later hurled homophobic abuse at police officers.

Leon Barrie, 44, was snared with the etizolam tablets in Thornliebank on July 28, 2021.

Glasgow Sheriff Court was told a man had approached a member of the public saying he had lost a child.

Police attended to find Barrie, of Cardonald, at the scene.

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The fiscal depute said: "Barrie had in his mouth a quantity of white tablets.

"Officers told him multiple times to spit these out.

"He then turned his head and proceeded to spit half of the tablets in a garden before chewing on the remaining tablets."

An officer opened Barrie's mouth to try and remove the tablets which were to be tested.

Barrie was taken to hospital due to consuming the then "unknown substance."

He shouted: "F*****g homos, look at youse."

Barrie was released from hospital and held in custody.

He then bragged: "This will never see court, I have had this before and I was admonished."

Barrie pleaded guilty to intentionally obstructing police as well as behaving in a threatening or abusive manner aggravated by prejudice.

Gerry Sweeney, defending, told the court: "He does accept full responsibility.

"He doesn't seem himself as homophobic - he disagreed with the circumstances of what happened and he did make these remarks to officers when he believed they were being abusive towards him."

Sheriff Jonathan Guy ordered Barrie to do 54 hours of unpaid work and put him under supervision for a year.