An Angus man who threatened to kill anyone who touched his Staffordshire terrier and threatened police with violence during a siege lasting more than three hours has been jailed for 140 days.
James Robertson, 27, of Bloomfield Road, Arbroath, holed himself up in a flat in Restenneth Drive, Forfar on Wednesday when police tried to arrest his friend.
Officers arrived with a warrant to arrest Mark Brand, who was also in the property, at 12.30pm.
At Forfar Sheriff Court on Thursday, depute fiscal Jill Drummond said police arrived to find all the curtains closed.
They began communicating with those inside through the front window but officers could not hear what was being said.
She said: “The accused started shouting and swearing and making threats of violence against them.
“He said he had a dog, a Staffordshire terrier, and threatened to kill anyone who touched the dog.
“A siege situation ensued and he and Brand refused to leave the property.
“Several police resources were called to assist – a dog unit, negotiators and officers from the public support unit.”
Brand, believing he would be returning to jail, requested time to pack some things prior to giving himself up.
He left the property of his own accord at 2.20pm and was arrested.
A female was escorted off the property by police, but Robertson remained inside.
He continued shouting and swearing aggressively to the police stating “If I see you on the street I will have you”.
The police were unsure if there were others in the flat and warned Robertson they may use force to gain entry.
He eventually left the flat at about 3.50pm, was arrested and taken to the Dundee custody suite.
When cautioned and charged he stated “It’s bang out of order.”
Robertson, who appeared from custody, admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, shouting and swearing and uttering threats of violence, acting in an aggressive manner by refusing to allow police witnesses to enter 114 Restenneth Drive on February 20, while on bail granted at Forfar Sheriff Court on January 31 2019.
Defence agent Nick Markowski told Sheriff John Rafferty his client had a background of offending.
He said: “He visited his friend and was having problems sleeping.
“At some point on Tuesday he crashed out and awoke with banging on the door.
“He did not know who it was. He accepts the police were not looking for him at all, it was none of his business, it was Mr Brand who was to be arrested.
“But he became involved in the situation.”
Sheriff Rafferty told Robertson he had become involved in siege of over three hours, with several police in attendance.
“I have got to regard the public interest and public safety. The only sentence I can impose is a custodial one.”
