A man was jailed for two years yesterday for wielding an axe in an Inverness city-centre car park.
Alarmed motorists phoned the police when the drunk man struck a wall with the hatchet.
Jonathon Hanvidge, 26, ran off when officers arrived at the multi-story at Rose Street.
But Hanvidge was drunk and police soon caught up with him, but not before he hid the hatchet down a nearby drain.
However, CCTV footage revealed the whereabouts of the offensive weapon and Hanvidge admitted possessing the bladed article at Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday.
Hanvidge also admitted several previous convictions, which included similar offences, some involving violence, mostly in the Paisley and Glasgow area.
Sheriff David Sutherland jailed Hanvidge, of Cale House, Millburn Road, Inverness, for two years, saying: “Your bad record leaves me with no alternative.”
Fiscal depute Laura Ryan told the court that the incident occurred on June 18.
“Witnesses in the car park reported seeing a man in an angry state holding an axe. He was seen to strike a wall with it and they were so concerned they phoned the police.
“Hanvidge ran from the car park when police officers arrived, but they pursued him and saw him leaning over a drain before arresting him.
“CCTV recorded it and it was discovered that he had placed the axe down the drain.”
Defence agent Gordon Nicol said his client was celebrating successfully completing a drug rehabilitation course in Edderton, Easter Ross.
“He was living in hostel accommodation in Inverness and one of his friends there wanted to meet up with him to celebrate the end of the course.
“He was not keen at first but agreed and he got so drunk he can’t remember much about the incident. He also doesn’t know how he came to have the hatchet.
“He is realistic enough to know that with his record, only a custodial sentence will be considered by the court.”