A CUSTODY officer faces disciplinary action after being convicted of assaulting a prisoner in a police cell.

Selkirk Sheriff Court was told Philip Chapman, 43, had reacted to 27-year-old Hughie Hutchison being unruly in the cell at Hawick Police Station.

Video evidence showed him entering the cell and pushing Hutchison onto a bed and restraining him.

The prisoner claimed the officer "punched me in the face a couple of times" and also had his hand around his neck and was bending his leg.

Hutchison said had adopted the "foetal position" because "a giant of a man was throwing me about the cell".

The footage also showed Hutchison shouting and swearing at a police officer after the assault had taken place.

He admitted: "I was swearing at the other officer about what he [the custody officer] had just done. I got treated like a dog."

A video of the fracas on the morning of Saturday, December 3, was played during a trial at Selkirk Sheriff Court.

While giving evidence, Hutchison admitted he had been giving officers "a lot of cheek" beforehand.

Chapman, who gave an address care of Hawick Police Station, had been charged with assault to injury.

Sheriff Peter Paterson deleted the injury part of the charge but found Chapman guilty of assault.

He was fined £400 with a £20 victim surcharge.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "We acknowledge the outcome at Selkirk Sheriff Court and the matter will now be referred for consideration under internal disciplinary procedures."