A SHERIFF has advised a Musselburgh man to “wake up and wonder where half your life has gone” after ordering him to wear an electronic tag for kicking a police officer in the head.

George Anderson lashed out with his feet at PC Warren Duignan’s head during an incident at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary earlier this year.

Anderson, who appeared from custody at the Capital’s sheriff court on Monday, was taken to the hospital after he had been arrested for assaulting a man on North High Street, Musselburgh.

Anderson grabbed victim Przemslaw Gora and threw him to the ground before repeatedly punching the man to the head and body on January 27. Anderson also admitted to shouting, swearing and making racist remarks to the man while he was in attendance at the hospital awaiting treatment.

The 39-year-old admitted three charges during a court appearance last month and sentence had been deferred by Sheriff Frank Crowe for reports.

On Monday, solicitor Colm Dempsey told the court that Anderson was currently serving a sentence for another matter and was set to be released yesterday (Wednesday).

Mr Dempsey told Sheriff Crowe that Anderson, a painter and decorator, had an address at Fleets Road in Tranent to go to if he was to escape a jail sentence for the latest offences.

Mr Dempsey said: “The report is positive and Mr Anderson understands the direct link between his abuse of alcohol and his offending and he also accepts responsibility for these offences.

“He has engaged well with [drug and alcohol charity] Lifeline while in custody and has met with an East Lothian Council official to take that forward on his release.

“In my submission, a restriction of liberty order would provide a punitive element and would mark the gravity of this offence.”

Sheriff Frank Crowe told Anderson: “It was a very nasty injury the man ended up with and you are not really in a position to pay compensation to him.

“You’ve been locked up for the last wee while for something else but I am glad you have taken some help while you have been in the prison.

“You are almost 40 and you must be twice the age of most guys in the jail, so it’s time to wake up and wonder where half your life has gone.”

Anderson was handed a three-month restriction of liberty order, meaning he will wear an electronic tag for the length of the order and will have to stay indoors from 9pm to 6am.

He will also have to attend drug or alcohol counselling as and when directed to do so as part of his sentence.

Anderson admitted to assaulting Mr Gora by repeatedly punching him to the head and body at North High Street, Musselburgh, on January 27. He also pleaded guilty to assaulting PC Duignan by kicking him on the head at the hospital on the same date.

He also admitted a third charge of shouting, screaming, uttering racist remarks towards Mr Gora at the hospital, causing alarm and annoyance to staff and patients, struggling with police officers and committing a breach of the peace at the hospital on the same date.