A man who turned up outside a police station and asked officers to arrest him finally got his wish when he tested their patience to the limit.
Andrew McGee, 25, confronted two police officers outside Tillydrone police station and offered to “hand himself in” due to an outstanding arrest warrant.
But the officers told him they were too busy with other matters and asked him to return the next day.
That prompted McGee to fly into a rage and try to provoke them, claiming that he had just climbed onto the roof of the station.
He then jumped a fence, threw stones at the officers and threatened to “smash up” their cars unless they arrested him.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court also heard McGee headbutted another officer in the face during an incident months later.
McGee – who was told that headbutting a police officer was a jailable offence on its own – was placed behind bars by Sheriff Joseph Platt.
Andrew McGee demanded to be ‘lifted’
Fiscal Depute Rebecca Coakley told the court that at around 2.30pm on December 15 last year, two officers arrived back at the police station when McGee appeared from the rear of the building.
He told one that he wanted to hand himself in on a warrant that was issued against him.
However, the officers advised McGee that, due to the number of ongoing incidents they were dealing with, they wouldn’t be able to arrest him and asked him to return the following day.
Hearing this, McGee became angry and took up an aggressive stance with his arms in the air demanding “to be lifted” – claiming he had been on the roof of the station before the officers arrived.
“The accused then ran over to a number of bins that were in the car park and threw one to the ground,” Ms Coakley said.
“The police officers thereafter took a hold of the accused and tried to calm him down, but he ran around the building and jumped over a fence where he threw a stone, which struck a fencing in front of where one of the constables was standing.”
McGee then shouted at the police officers that he was “going to smash their vehicles. He was subsequently cautioned and arrested.
Headbutted policeman
The court also heard that during another separate incident at Crossfolds Crescent, Peterhead, on February 14 this year, police found McGee breaching a bail condition not to be at that address.
As police spoke to him, and without warning, McGee headbutted one of the constables in the mouth, causing him to stumble backwards.
On another occasion on August 23 last year, McGee went to a property in Peterhead where he banged on the door and was heard uttering threats to harm those inside.
He was heard to state that he would “kill” the occupants and made threats to “batter” others there.
When police arrived, McGee told them that they “better arrest him now, before he did something serious”.
In the dock, McGee admitted two charges of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner and one charge of assault.
He also pleaded guilty to one charge of breaching his bail conditions and two counts of failing to appear in court.
‘Chaotic lifestyle’
Defence solicitor Alex Burn told the court that his client had gone to the police station wanting to be taken into custody and when the officers refused, he “kicked off with the police”.
“I believe he was inebriated at the time and he accepts that his conduct was completely unacceptable,” the solicitor said.
Mr Burn went on to say that McGee had suffered from a dysfunctional background and lived a chaotic lifestyle.
“He wants to move on with his life and it’s hoped that he can – he is in m’lord’s hands here,” Mr Burn added.
Sentencing McGee, Sheriff Platt told him that he had reached the conclusion that there was “no other appropriate sentence other than a custodial one due to his persistent offending”.
“The head butting of the police officer would warrant a prison sentence on its own,” he said, adding that McGee had “caused a great deal of distress, trouble and concern.”
Sheriff Platt jailed McGee, of Brierfield Terrace, Aberdeen, for a total of nine months.
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