An angry Inverness homeowner confronted two workmen with a crossbow after they dug a ditch in front of his driveway and blocked his car in.
The frightened contractors filmed handyman Marcin Sitarz with the weapon and footage of the incident, on the afternoon of March 5 2022, was played in Inverness Sheriff Court.
Police were called to the scene, in Tomnahurich Street, and they seized two crossbows and arrested the 46-year-old.
Sitarz admitted a breach of the peace and his lawyer, John MacColl, told the court that there was a context to his client’s behaviour.
‘Concerning’ footage of crossbow confrontation
He said: “Workmen arrived at the street and without having the courtesy to tell my client that they were going to dig a ditch in front of his driveway, they just went ahead and did it, blocking his car in the process.
“He was playing with the crossbow, firing it at a target in his garden at the time, and he went out to the street to speak to them.
“But he went back into his property and stood at his fence and displayed the crossbow.
“There was no malicious intent, and to a degree, it was a spontaneous act.”
Sheriff Robert Frazer told Mr MacColl: “The footage was very concerning indeed. I am going to defer for a background report.”
Sitarz had sentence deferred until May 6 and fiscal depute Shay Traynor’s motion to have the two crossbows forfeited was continued by the sheriff until that date.