Judge issues courtroom shorts ban as police attacker handed unpaid work

A judge has banned anyone from appearing before him wearing shorts.

Sheriff Christopher Shead warned he would hold the accused people in contempt of court if they continued.

Under Scots Law, someone found in contempt of court can be fined heavily – or even imprisoned.

Sheriff Shead spoke out after an offender appeared before him for sentence in a pair of grey cargo shorts paired with white socks, white trainers and a blue top.

The accused, Calum Hardie, 30, was handed a sentence of 300 hours of unpaid work plus an overnight home curfew for nine months, after admitting charges of behaving in a threatening manner at a hospital and assaulting two policemen.

Sheriff Shead told Hardie he was “absolutely astonished” that he should have appeared before the court in the way he had “because you can’t be bothered getting dressed”.

He said: “For the avoidance of doubt, don’t ever come back to this court dressed in shorts again.

“The court has had cause to make that comment on a number of occasions and indicated that it will be treating the matter as a contempt of court if it continues – in your case or anyone else’s.”

Prosecutor Stuart Asher said the charges against Hardie arose from incidents on November 21, 2025.

Mr Asher said police had responded to reports that Hardie, of Larbert, Stirlingshire, was “hanging out of a window”.

He was taken to the Forth Valley Royal Hospital after stating he had taken large amounts of cocaine and had to be treated “for a considerable time” by medical staff.

He kicked off after being pronounced fit and well, subjecting police to verbal abuse and grabbing one male officer by the upper thigh.

In a further incident, he spat “straight in the face” of another officer and made attempts to bite others.

Defence solicitor Jane Joiner said Hardie now worked in Crieff, Perthshire, and was “very much apologetic” for his behaviour in November.

Outside the court, Hardie told a reporter: “The sheriff was raging at me for wearing shorts – he was going to do me for contempt.”

Asked if he was going to wear shorts again to court, Hardie said: “I don’t know.”

Asked if he thought he was unreasonably dressed for the dock, he said: “I’m just chuffed.”

He left the building, waving his Community Payback Order papers in the air.