A “paranoid” man has been spared jail after sparking panic when he was spotted outside a Tesco Express with what people believed was a real gun.
Ian Jolly donned a tactical vest during the drama outside the shop on Aberdeen’s King Street towards the end of last year.
It was later discovered that the weapon was a Glock 17-style BB pellet gun, but not before armed police officers rushed to the scene.
The 49-year-old, who had been in trouble for similar behaviour in the past, previously admitted a charge of possessing an imitation firearm in a public place.
Sentencing had been deferred for reports but Jolly, of Merkland Road East, Aberdeen, returned to the dock on Monday to learn his fate.
‘Mr Jolly might be an eccentric character’
Fiscal depute David Ballock told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the incident happened around 5pm on October 16 last year.
He said: “The accused was at the rear exit to Tesco Express and was observed by members of the public putting on a black tactical vest.
“Next to him, on a wall, was what appeared to the members of the public to be a black handgun.”
A worried witness phoned the police and armed police raced to the scene.
They recovered the BB gun which had a single pellet in the chamber and was ready to be fired.
Jolly was arrested.
Defence agent Stuart Murray said: “I don’t think I’m speaking ill of Mr Jolly when I say there’s a significant degree of paranoia involved and a lack of consequential thinking that took him to committing this offence.
“There’s a background of paranoia and that, of course, no doubt extends as far back as the analogous offence.
“Mr Jolly might be what’s referred to as an eccentric character.”
‘Paranoia took over’
Mr Murray explained that while Jolly suffers from paranoia, it is “not without good reason” as his house had been broken into repeatedly and he had been assaulted.
“He was living in fear of that happening again,” the defence solicitor added.
The solicitor said after Jolly had left the Tesco store, the “paranoia took over” and he went into his bag to retrieve and put on what he described as a stab vest.
Mr Murray explained: “On putting on the vest, he took the weapon out of the bag because it was sitting on top of the vest in the bag.”
Sheriff Craig Findlater handed Jolly 18 months of supervision and 190 hours of unpaid work as a direct alternative to prison.
Previously, during a similar incident in 2021, Jolly sparked another armed police response near Pittodrie Stadium on Merkland Road East.
He was seen wearing a black helmet, full black face mask, black stab vest, black rucksack and appeared to be in possession of a rifle and a small handgun.
The weapons turned out to be an airsoft BB rifle and a BB handgun.
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