A GREENOCK man who made lewd comments and gestures towards a female police officer after being arrested on suspicion of drink driving has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

Kevin McShane was found by an off-duty PC after crashing his Audi A3 on Inverkip Road when he only held a provisional licence.

McShane, 40, was taken to Inverclyde Royal Hospital as a precaution after the collision caused the airbags in his vehicle to deploy - and he landed himself in further trouble following a series of inappropriate remarks.

Prosecutor Pamela Brady told a sheriff court hearing that police were on patrol in the town on August 14, 2022 when they spotted McShane's car crashed into the central reservation on the road at around 1.30am.

The fiscal depute said: "Police approached the accused and he stated that he had had an accident and was waiting to get the car lifted before he left.

"Police officers could smell alcohol from him and obtained further details, with checks confirming that he only had a provisional licence.

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"He was arrested and taken to the accident and emergency department at IRH to be medically assessed before being taken into custody.

"Whilst at Inverclyde Royal his behaviour became extremely unacceptable. He was shouting, swearing and behaving aggressively causing upset and alarm to other patients in the hospital."

McShane was spoken to on numerous occasion by police and nursing staff but ignored them and shouted 'I don't care, get these cuffs aff me'.

The court was told that a police officer had to stand in front of him to stop him falling to the floor as he seemed to be slumped whilst wearing handcuffs and seated.

McShane then turned to the PC and licked his lips, before winking and stating uttering a disgusting reference to his private parts.

The fiscal depute said McShane was 'instructed to mind his conduct and that this was unacceptable' but he continued to make further lewd comments towards the constable in front of other patients.

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Declared fit to be released into custody, he was taken to Greenock police office where he was required to provide a specimen of breath but refused.

Mrs Brady said he 'refused to comply with police officers full stop'.

Sheriff Sheena Fraser rejected a bid by solicitor Aidan Gallagher to withdraw McShane's guilty plea to the sexual remarks charge and said she did not consider 'that he could be in any doubt over what he was pleading to' when the plea was tendered last November.

Mr Gallagher said: "He does not accept the conduct referred to at the IRH, the comments attributed to him and the reference to him licking his lips.

"He claims any comments made at the time were not lewd."

Sentence was deferred for a criminal justice social work report and McShane, of Luss Place, will return to court on June 10.

He was made subject to sex offender notification requirements in the interim.