A fantasist once convicted of impersonating a police sergeant has avoided jail term — after real officers found him with an 18 inch long extendable baton in his motor.
Kelvin Swann was caught after being tipped off by one of his colleague’s about the spring-loaded baton in his car, similar to those carried by police.
Swann was previously convicted of masquerading as a police officer when he pulled a woman over in St Andrews as she drove her 12-year-old daughter to school.
He pulled up alongside her car and accused her of committing five separate crimes in the space of minutes before pretending to call the station for backup.
In the new incident Swann was detained when a series of police vehicle swooped on him near the Tay Road Bridge in Dundee.
Depute Fiscal Sue Ruta told Dundee Sheriff Court: “The matter came to light when officers received intelligence that the accused would be travelling over the Tay Road Bridge in a Vauxhall Corsa van containing an extendable baton and potentially a canister of spray.
“Due to that information police took up a marked vantage point at the bridge entrance on the Fife side at about 1.20pm.
“The accused was spotted travelling northwards.
“He was followed by police officers and was stopped at the Apex Hotel by four police officers who advised him of the reason he had been stopped.
“He openly admitted that he was in possession of an extendable baton in the rear of his vehicle.
“An 18-inch spring-loaded baton was concealed in the boot.
“The accused was arrested by officers and taken into police custody and charged.
“The accused made no reply.”
The court was told Swann, a former RAF airman, had shown the baton to a colleague and that he had it in his car for a couple of days.
Swann, 53, of Miltonbank Crescent, St Andrews, pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing an offensive weapon on August 12.
Defence solicitor Alan Davie said: “He’s someone with an interest in militaria and as such bought this item.
“He didn’t put any thought in to travelling with it in his possession.”
Sheriff Lorna Drummond QC imposed a community payback order with 120 hours unpaid work.
She said: “It is a relatively serious matter to have an offensive weapon without excuse or authority in a public place.”
