A man who threatened to shoot the police then shouted racial slurs and “white pride worldwide” at officers has been banned from buying or drinking alcohol for two years.
John Cowie, 24, appeared via videolink for sentencing at Tain Sheriff Court, having previously pled guilty to two charges of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.
Fiscal depute Pauline Gair told the court that on October 3 this year police had been called to the address he shares with his grandparents in Rockview Place, Helmsdale.
She said: “He caused upset to his grandmother, who was scared by his behaviour and made multiple 999 calls.”
The court heard that during one of those calls Cowie could be heard in the background saying: “You better be sending the armed police.”
‘I’m going to be taking you all out’
When officers arrived he said: “I hope armed officers are behind you because I’m going to be taking you all out,” adding: “I’m going to take a gun to shoot you all.”
Cowie then used a racial slur towards the officers, before shouting “White pride worldwide” at them.
When he was put into the police van he proceeded to smash his head off the cage inside the vehicle, while shouting and swearing and threatening to urinate on himself.
Solicitor Patrick O’Dea, for Cowie, told the court his client was a young man with “certain challenges” whose difficulties tended to come to the fore when he drinks.
He said: “He was heavily intoxicated, that is not an excuse. I have no doubt that that is the source of the difficulty.”
Accused’s apology to grandparents
Mr O’Dea said his client wished to apologise to his grandparents and added: “He recognises that if it was not for his grandparents he would find things greatly more challenging.”
“He is very much in a position where he realises that unless he makes a change,” Mr O’Dea said, “he has all but doomed himself to a life of misery.”
Placing Cowie on a Community Payback Order with two years’ supervision, 140 hours of unpaid work and a conduct requirement not to drink or purchase alcohol for two years, Sheriff Gary Aitken said: “You are at something of a turning point in your life.
“You either break the habit of relying on alcohol and get on with a productive and useful life or you end up in a spiral of offending.
“You have to want to stop doing that, it is only in your hands.”
