A former soldier who used a toddler as a weapon to attack police officers has been jailed for 20 months.
Lindsay Rodger, 36, picked up the hysterical two-year-old girl and used her to hit the officers as they struggled to arrest him on July 4 last year.
Rodger, who served with the Black Watch and the SAS, was jailed in connection with a drink-fuelled catalogue of crime covered by 11 separate cases at Perth Sheriff Court.
The court was told that he had carried out attacks on seven police officers, brawled with 10, attacked his wife and three random strangers in bars.
He also admitted his fourth offence of drink driving, making bigoted remarks about the travelling community, and several breaches of court orders.
Sheriff William Wood said: “I dare say you are a perfectly nice man when sober and you present that way, but once you have a drink things change.
“You are a man who has served his country, and from the information I have, you have seen and had to do things most people would find utterly repellant.
“You are one of the few ex-service people I have seen who actually has a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder.
“I have been very sympathetic towards you. There is precious little more that I can do. I am at the end of my patience.
“It is also my duty to protect the public and the balance now tips in the public’s favour because you have exhausted all of the other options.”
He told Rodger if he had been sentenced for each case individually he could have been jailed for up to 11 years but instead would serve half of the 20- month sentence imposed.
The court heard how the former special forces member ignored pleas to hand the girl over to safety and instead he lashed out with her to fend off the police.
Rodger, of Skinnergate in Perth, claimed the incident was sparked by flashbacks he suffered in relation to his time spent in the military.
Depute fiscal Tina Dickie said police had been called to a domestic disturbance.
She said: “Several police officers attended and were met in the common close by the accused.
“He was holding the two-year-old girl in his arms.
“The police were under the impression the accused was intoxicated.
“The two-year-old was becoming incredibly upset and police asked him on several occasions to desist.
“Eventually the accused was restrained and the child was safely removed by police officers.”