A FORFAR MAN who threatened to shoot his family and a police officer was detained in hospital at the town’s sheriff court yesterday.

Samuel Anderson (53), of East High Street, Forfar had previously admitted that on September 13 at his home address, he conducted himself in a disorderly manner, contacted Tayside Police control room and repeatedly stated he was going to shoot his family.

He had also admitted threatening to shoot and kill an officer of Tayside Police and refusing to leave his home stating he wished to be shot and killed by a police officer.

The court had previously heard that Anderson phoned the control room at 10.20pm and started making the threats before his wife took the phone from him and said she was in the house with her son, daughter and mother and that Anderson had gone to his bed and none of the family were at risk.

However, five minutes later Anderson made another call to the control room and repeated the threats.

A police armed response team rushed to the scene and sealed off a section of the High Street during the stand-off, which lasted for more than three and a half hours.

Negotiations started for all other members of the house to leave, including the children aged 18 and 20, which they did at 10.45pm and Anderson left his house at 1.15am.

Officers later entered the house and found four imitation weapons and a deactivated grenade.

Defence solicitor David Sinclair had said an argument had broken out between Anderson and his wife that night, which culminated in him going to a bedroom where he drank a bottle of wine and eight bottles of beer.

Sheriff Kevin Veal said, “I take on board the four weeks already spent in custody and the medical background.

“This was a serious matter which affected a lot of people and it used up a lot of police time keeping matters under control.

“There is a medical background to this case and I am going to impose a compulsion section 57 order, for him to be detained at Sunnyside Hospital under the direction of doctors for as long as they see fit.”