A 98-year-old Perthshire man, Sylvester Nowak, has appeared before a sheriff at Perth on a petition alleging the attempted murder of two police officers.
Nowak, of Birch Row, Scone, emerged from custody on Wednesday flanked by two Reliance security personnel, such was his infirmity, to face charges that on Tuesday at his home address, he assaulted two female officers with weapons.
It is alleged that he attempted to murder one of the constables by striking her on the arm with a knife to her severe injury. It is also alleged that he attempted to murder a second female by trying to strike her on the head and body with a knife and axe.
Nowak, appearing in private before Sheriff Peter Hammond, made no plea or declaration and his case was continued for further examination.
He was remanded into the custody of medical staff at Murray Royal Hospital in Perth, where he will undergo a psychiatric assessment.
He is expected to return to Perth Sheriff Court at a later date.
A female police officer injured in the incident underwent surgery on Wednesday. The officer, whose details have not been released by Tayside Police, was taken by ambulance from Scone with a serious arm injury. She was detained in Ninewells Hospital overnight.
Scone residents spoke of their shock and described how police “swarmed like bees” into the quiet residential area of the village. The cul-de-sac is home mainly to pensioners still shaken by the sudden disturbance, which saw police spend hours interviewing them and carrying out investigations.
Jim Grant said he was alerted to a commotion by a man telling them to call the police.
Another neighbour said, “I wasn’t aware of anything happening until suddenly all these police and ambulance people came into the street. They just swarmed in and about like bees so it was obvious something serious had happened.
“This is a really quiet area and we don’t have problems with kids or anything like you hear elsewhere so I think this has left people a bit rattled.”
It is thought Nowak has lived in his Birch Row house since the late 1960s after moving from Dundee.
Mr Grant said Nowak told him he was a Nazi prisoner during the war before escaping to Italy and making his way to the UK by boat.
He said he was a welder who had worked all his life at the local coachworks. Previously married, it is understood he has no children and no relatives living in Scotland.