Dundee player Paul McGowan admits police assault charge

McGowan kicked a police constable after being taken to Coatbridge Police Office

A Scottish Premiership footballer has admitted kicking a police officer - his third conviction for police assault.

Dundee midfielder Paul McGowan, 27, was arrested after an incident at a house in his home town of Airdrie in the early hours of 23 November 2014.

At Airdrie Sheriff Court, he admitted behaving in a threatening manner and assaulting PC Jamie White. Sentence was deferred and his bail continued.

McGowan was given a community sentence last year for an attack on police.

The latest attack happened after McGowan was arrested at a house in Airdrie's Wheatholm Street, less than 24 hours after he had played in Dundee's 2-1 defeat by Celtic at Celtic Park.

He also pled guilty to assaulting PC White by kicking him on the body at Coatbridge Police Office.

McGowan also admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm.

Deferred sentence

The midfielder, who began his career with Celtic and also played for St Mirren, pled not guilty to another charge of resisting arrest and struggling with five other officers - a plea that was accepted by the Crown.

Sheriff Janice Scott deferred sentence on McGowan until next month and continued his bail.

The sheriff told McGowan: "You have a bit of a recent history and I will be calling for reports for sheriffs to consider sentence."

Last year, McGowan was given a non-custodial sentence for assaulting two police officers.

The then St Mirren player admitted kicking the two officers on the body in Airdrie and at Coatbridge police office on 11 August 2013.

He was told to carry out 130 hours of unpaid work and given a one-year supervision order.