A retired chef spent Christmas and New Year behind bars after sparking a ‘bizarre’ police siege at a holiday let in Montrose.
Fabrice Roverselli swung a hammer at one officer and sprayed another with cleaning fluid containing bleach.
Roverselli, whose address in court papers is listed as being in the village of Mirabel-aux-Baronnies near Avignon in southern France, was described by his solicitor Nick Markowski as like “a proverbial fish out of water” while being locked up over the holidays.
Having served four weeks on remand, Roverselli was fined £600.
Concerned witnesses
Fiscal depute Stephanie Hendry told the court: “The locus is an Airbnb-type property.
“The accused at the time was a short-term tenant.”
During the morning of December 11 last year, Roverselli began shouting out the window at a man working on a vehicle in the car park.
“After a short confrontation, the accused began throwing household items.”
Another witness knocked on the door but got no answer.
That witness then tried to contact the tenant using an external lift, but heard the accused shout: “I’ll be next.”
Believing this meant Roverselli planned to jump, the witness called police.
Under siege
Officers arrived at 10am and through the door, they heard Roverselli opening blister packs.
Fearing he may be trying to self-harm, they tried to force entry.
Officers removed a door panel, but Roverselli proceeded to swing a hammer, apparently attempting to strike a constable’s fingers.
Police told Roverselli they had tasers and he briefly withdrew.
Inside the property, Roverselli held out a cleaning spray which was later found to contain bleach.
He used this to assault a different PC, who then couldn’t use his taser as he was unable to determine if the mist was flammable.
Roverselli then used items in the living room to barricade himself in and before gathering items which could be used as weapons.
Police were eventually able to push in and restrain Roverselli in handcuffs.
After being charged, he told officers: “Not guilty.”
Admissions
The 57-year-old admitted acting in a threatening or abusive manner at The Tower in North Esk Road, Montrose, on December 11 last year.
He pled guilty to shouting, throwing various household items from the window, repeatedly making threats, repeatedly striking a door with a hammer, barricading himself in and gathering a knife and scissors into a box.
Roverselli also admitted assaulting two PCs during the siege.
He pled guilty to attempting to strike Constable Neil Adams on the body with a hammer, and spraying Constable Derek Duncan with cleaning fluid containing bleach which thereby landed on his face.
Roverselli was remanded when he appeared from custody the day after his rampage and was liberated from prison on January 9.
Fining him, Sheriff Garry Sutherland labelled Roverselli’s outburst as “bizarre.”
Hospitalised in jail
Defence solicitor Nick Markowski explained the father-of-two’s marriage of 25 years had broken down.
He said: “He’s a retired chef – he seems to have had a successful career.
“There isn’t anything like this type of behaviour at all in his record.”
The solicitor added: “He’s a Type-1 diabetic.
“The locus is actually owned by his ex-father-in-law.
“He can’t really give a clear explanation as to what was going on.
“He was very unwell when he was in prison and had to be admitted to hospital.
“He is keen to return to France where he stays with his mother.
“Because he’s a French national, he’s not assessed as suitable for a community payback order.
“I think he was like a proverbial fish out of water when he was on remand.
“He’s fortunate in that none of the police officers were injured.”
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