A businessman sparked a standoff at a Kirkcaldy hotel after walking in with knives and shutting himself in a cupboard.
A member of staff at the Beveridge Park Hotel held the door closed on Kenneth Morris until firearms officers arrived on scene.
Police negotiated for several hours before Morris agreed to come out of the cupboard.
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard Morris was sleep-deprived and drunk at the time of the incident.
Armed officers called to Kirkcaldy hotel
Fiscal depute Amy Robertson told the court he had pushed past the hotel’s night porter shortly after 11pm, while carrying two knives.
“In the hotel the accused entered a small cupboard and shut the door behind him.
“(The porter) called police and held the door to the cupboard closed to prevent the accused leaving and prevent public danger.
“Police declared the incident to be a firearms incident and officers arrived around seven minutes after receiving the call.
“Officers were able to engage the accused in conversation, which lasted a number of hours.”
Morris eventually surrendered to the firearms team at around 1am.
A search of the cupboard found two kitchen knives with six-inch blades.
Sleep-deprived and paranoid
Morris, 58, of Ostlere Road, Kirkcaldy, admitted possessing the knife in the hotel on July 31 last year.
A not guilty plea was accepted to the charge of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner.
Branding it a “bizarre incident”, solicitor Kerr Sneddon said his client had indulged in alcohol and other substances which led to paranoia.
“He doesn’t have a connection to the hotel other than he lives nearby.
“He acted this way after a period of alcohol intoxication – and possibly something else – and a period of no sleep, resulting in what is described as paranoia.
“What he wanted to do in this mindset was to protect himself by locking himself in the cupboard.
“He’s ashamed of himself and embarrassed.”
‘Scope for disaster was strong’
Sheriff Mungo Bovey said the incident could have escalated had a Good Samaritan not “tackled” Morris.
“I’m not surprised the police treated this as seriously as they did.
“He behaved in an aggressive manner and one dreads to think what would have happened if some Good Samaritan had thought to tackle him rather than him shuttling himself in a cupboard.
“The scope for disaster was strong.
“This is a very concerning incident.”
He placed Morris in a bond of caution – a good behaviour bond – requiring him to hand over £10,000 to the court with a condition that he stays out of trouble for a year.
If he fails to comply, he will forfeit the cash.
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