A Wick man threatened police with a meat cleaver and knives during a standoff with armed officers in Castletown.
Two firearms teams were called to the scene before Calum McCann, 24, eventually surrendered following the arrival of a police negotiator.
Wick Sheriff Court heard that McCann, of Glamis Road, Wick, had gone
to Castletown on May 9 last year.
He was met by his mother who noticed he’d been drinking and became aware that her son was “angry about something”.
Worried that her son might visit the home of his father, whom he was banned from contacting, she alerted the police.
Angry screwdriver-wielding McCann threatened to stab and kill police
Fiscal depute Grant McLennan said that the accused called at Mr McCann’s home in Calder Square, Castletown, but when no one answered, he returned to his mother’s home at Murrayfield, in the village.
At the time, McCann’s mum was out looking for him.
The prosecutor told the court that police officers who approached Mrs McCann’s property were confronted by McCann, who opened a living room window with a screwdriver in his hand.
They explained to McCann he needed to be spoken to about an alleged breach of his bail conditions.
“McCann became angry and threatened to stab and kill them if they came into his house,” Mr McLennan explained.
“The officers explained that brandishing weapons would only make things worse and asked him to come out.”
McCann was seen pacing back and forth in the living room, putting the screwdriver down and opening a black roll-up case from which he retrieved a meat cleaver.
Mr McLennan continued: “The accused pointed it out of the window at the officers and threatened to chop their hands off with it, along with further comments about killing them by cutting their eyes out and slitting their throats.”
McCann said he would defend the property and “slash” anyone who came
into the house.
McCann sharpened large kitchen knife blade on meat cleaver in front of police
During the standoff, McCann picked up a large kitchen knife, stood next to the open window and sharpened the blade against the meat cleaver.
Police officers attempted to calm McCann but he continued to shout abuse and hurl threats at them, saying he was going to throw knives at them and “would make sure he didn’t miss”.
Around midnight, a group of Dounreay-based armed officers from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary arrived to cover the front and rear of the property as other officers tried unsuccessfully to engage with the accused.
Armed officers from Police Scotland arrived on the scene from Inverness, allowing local officers to step back.
A trained police negotiator phoned McCann to persuade him to drop his weapons and come outside.
Despite agreeing, McCann picked up the weapons and continued to shout.
Later, he promised to come out of the property after having a smoke, which he did.
McCann was swiftly arrested and taken to the police station in Wick.
Sheriff blasts McCann’s ‘dreadful’ antics but lets him avoid jail
In the dock at Wick Sheriff Court, the 24-year-old later admitted to threatening or abusive behaviour.
Sheriff Neil Wilson commented on the “dreadful” sequence of events but
said a background report had persuaded him to spare McCann from jail.
Instead, he was ordered to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work with supervision.
The sheriff warned McCann that if he failed to co-operate fully with social workers, he would face a prison sentence.
McCann has also been ordered to address his substance abuse problem.