Andrew Vannart – who stands at a huge 6ft 7ins – was thrown in jail for lashing out at PC Petrena Campbell as she and colleague PC Ross Deans tried to arrest him.

He elbowed PC Campbell – who is just 5ft 2ins tall and weighs just eight stone – in the face during a violent rammy in the town’s Main Street at the end of August.

Paisley Sheriff Court heard that violence erupted after PCs Deans and Campbell approached Vannart and a group of his friends and family on August 26.

The officers had been informed that 40-year-old Vannart was sitting outside Boots and that there was a warrant out for his arrest.

When the officers went to speak to him he tried to give them false details – telling them he was his younger brother Greig.

Hazel Emmerson, prosecuting, told the court that the officers got in touch with CCTV control room to make sure a camera was pointing at the group so the situation could be monitored.

When they started to speak to Vannart he got to his feet and dwarfed the officers.

Emmerson explained: “Standing at 6ft 7ins he was towering above both police officers, who were aware of the height and weight advantage he had over them.” The officers were able to check a picture they had for Vannart, confirming that he was not Greig, and asked him for ID.

He then became aggressive and the situation spun out of control, resulting in PC Campbell being assaulted.

Emmerson explained: “He became abusive and arrogant towards PC Deans.

“He was arrested for perverting the course of justice and the outstanding warrant.

“He appeared aggressive in his demeanour and was shouting ‘don’t touch me!’ “He was asked to calm down and said, ‘I’m going nowhere!’” Vannart’s teenage son, Andrew McDougall, then became involved in the fracas, shouting and swearing at the officers and interfering with them as they carried out their duties.

Fearing that Vannart was going to strike out and that an assault was imminent due to warning signs and danger signs they are trained to look out for, PCs Deans and Campbell decided to take hold of Vannart and put him face down on the ground to stop him from causing any more trouble.

McDougall then moved towards the officers and accused PC Deans of assaulting him.

The 18-year-old’s actions caused enough of a distraction for the officers to look away from Vannart long enough that he got to his feet, and they managed to move him over to the wall beside Boots.

He continued shouting and swearing and being aggressive towards the officers before elbowing PC Campbell on the right side of her face.

They managed to handcuff him while his son tried to stop them.

As they tried to get McDougall away he lost the plot, screaming: “Get tae f*** and get your hands aff me.” He then tried to run towards his father and warned: “If I get you in a cell I’m gonna batter f*** outta you!” The officers cautioned him, telling him he was under arrest and that anything he said would be noted down and could be used against him in court.

He replied: “You’re going to use that against me? F*** off!” Vannart then began simulating having a fit by closing his eyes and pretending to shake uncontrollably.

When they appeared in the dock this week both men admitted their involvement in the shameful events.

Vannart admitted assaulting PC Campbell by elbowing her, assaulting PC Deans by attempting to headbutt him, attempting to pervert the course of justice by pretending he was his brother and struggling with police.

He also pleaded guilty to a charge in another case after he and his brother had a fight in the same street in July, leaving Greig needing seven stitches.

After hearing that Vannart was under the influence of drugs at the time and suffers from anxiety which causes him to lose his temper, Sheriff David Hall jailed him.

He sent Vannart, of Cross Arthurlie Street, down for six months for the rammy, jailing him for a further two months for the fight with his brother.

He placed McDougall, of Balgray Crescent, on a one-year Community Payback Order, which will see him supervised by social workers.

He also has to carry out 150 hours’ unpaid work over the next nine months.

As Sheriff Hall sentenced McDougall, he said: “If his father had accepted who he was and gone quietly then his son wouldn’t be here at all and wouldn’t have spent the last four weeks on remand at Polmont.”