Firearms officers had to force their way into a house in Dundee after a man threatened to kill a woman and child.
Stephen Donoghue brandished a bread knife during the terrifying incident on Craigie Drive in April.
The 33-year-old was high on diazepam at the time, as smoke spread throughout the house from burning food in an oven.
Donoghue was later found sitting on a sofa by firearms officers.
A woman and a child were found to be visibly shaken after creating a makeshift barrier to get away from him.
‘You will all die with me’
Prosecutor Lora Apostolova told Dundee Sheriff Court how, after waking up after 10.45pm, Donoghue believed it was the morning.
She said: “The accused stated he would make breakfast and started cooking food in the oven.
“Smoke later began to spread.
“A woman opened the front door but the accused removed the front door key, locked the doors and said ‘I am not going nowhere, you will all die with me’.”
He went on: “You can all die and I’ll burn this house down.
“This is the last time you will phone the police.”
Ms Apostolova said it was discovered Donoghue had broken the fire extinguisher and the witnesses believed they could smell gas in the property.
Distressed child spotted by police
Police arrived at around 12.25am and saw the distressed child through a bedroom window.
Ms Apostolova said: “The smell from the oven could be detected from outside.
“The child spoke with police, stating that the accused was downstairs and had taken the keys.
“The accused attended behind the front door and shouted that he was searching for the front door keys but he couldn’t remember when he had placed them.
“The accused took hold of a bread knife and screams could be heard from the woman when the accused disappeared from the view of police.”
Firefighters switched off the gas supply before entry was forced by firearms officers.
The living room was barricaded by a sofa and a walking frame.
The oven was switched off and the witnesses were found to be distressed but safe.
Jailed
Donoghue, a prisoner of HMP Perth, admitted threatening to burn down the property, deliberately burning food and causing smoke to spread, threatening to kill a woman and a child and brandishing a knife on April 4.
Solicitor Jim Laverty said Donoghue had moved to Tayside from the north west of England a few weeks before the incident.
He said Donoghue was self-medicating with diazepam after having difficulties transferring his medication to Dundee.
“Mr Donoghue has little or no recollection of the events.
“He bitterly regrets the incident causing such fear and distress.
“He has apologised profusely and that appears to have been accepted and the parties have reconciled.”
Sheriff Lorna Drummond QC sentenced Donoghue to 16 months in prison.
She said: “This is an offence that caused quite significant fear and alarm.
“You have got a record and this is a serious matter.
“My view is it justifies you being sent to jail for it.”
