A pair of Kirkcaldy construction workers “ran for their lives” when a man aimed a realistic replica handgun at them because of the noise they were making.
Paul Williams leaned out of a window and shouted to the pair he would shoot them at the town’s Kelso Place on July 18 last year.
The 40-year-old had BB gun from his time as an extra in a World War II themed film, a court heard.
Police later found a Taser when they searched his home.
Sheriff Steven Borthwick jailed Williams for 27 months at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court, where he appeared for sentencing by video link to Perth Prison.
Pair ‘ran for their lives’
Prosecutor Christine Allan told the court previously the workmen were using a nail gun to put up a fence in the back garden of a property shortly after 8am on the Tuesday morning.
They saw Williams leaning out a nearby window with a hockey stick and shouting about the noise.
They tried to reason with him, explaining they were required to do the work and Williams disappeared back inside.
A short time later he returned to the window with what appeared to be a black handgun in his right hand.
The fiscal depute said: “He (Williams) shouted ‘I will shoot you’ and raised the gun to point the gun at both witnesses.”
Ms Allan said one of the pair has previous military experience and identified it as a viable gun so they “ran for their lives”.
One of the witnesses phoned police and while on the phone, Williams walked past in Kelso Place and raised his thumb to acknowledge him.
Ms Allan said a firearms team was deployed to Williams’ home but got no answer and was stood down.
Police searched the property shortly before midnight that day and found two black metal replica handguns, one of which is thought to be the same Williams had brandished earlier, and a Taser.
The fiscal depute said Williams told police his behaviour was a “spur of the moment thing” and he “had the Taser for ages and got it from a house clearance”.
Film prop gun
Williams pled guilty to assault by brandishing a hockey stick and handgun and illegally possessing a Taser, contrary to the Firearms Act 1968.
Defence lawyer Martin McGuire said the workmen had arrived before 8am and started using various items of equipment.
He said Williams asked them to desist but they did not.
The lawyer said: “His view was the witnesses were effectively laughing at him and he recovered a BB gun, which was a prop in a film in which he was involved as an extra.
“It was established fairly quickly the item was not, in fact, a viable firearm and was a BB gun designed to fire plastic pellets.
“Mr Williams had been involved in a film project which was based around the Second World War, with publicity locally and nationally and items were props from that.
“The Taser was purchased some time ago in a house clearance.
“He did not have a charger for the item so, although in working order, he did not have a mechanism to charge.”
Mr McGuire said his client has a number of health issues including epilepsy, anxiety, and Asperger’s.
He said Williams left the house that day in the aftermath of events and, as someone who often goes camping on the west coast, “spent a few days in isolation” before returning to Kirkcaldy and handing himself to police.
Jailed
Mr McGuire argued for a non-custodial sentence and pointed out Williams has been in custody since August 18 last year for the offences – the equivalent of a near-16-month jail term.
Sheriff Borthwick highlighted Williams’ previous convictions including two for assault, one involving a knife, two for wilful fireraising and one for possessing an offensive weapon.
The sheriff said there was “no alternative but to impose a custodial sentence” of 27 months, backdated to August 18.
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