Beauly man in machete kill threat to police
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A MAN who claimed he was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder after serving with the SAS threatened to kill police officers when they tried to speak to him after being called to his flat in Beauly last month.
Paul Edwards shouted at two police officers from an upstairs window that he would kill them with a machete as they tried to speak to him from outside his flat.
But Inverness Sheriff Court heard Edwards eventually gave himself up.
The 44-year-old was convicted of threatening to kill the officers after trial.
He also denied charges of behaving in a threatening manner towards neighbours in Croyard Court in a separate incident in October 2013.
PC Alex Macdonald (46) told Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood at Inverness Sheriff Court he attended at Croyard Court on 2nd December after receiving complaints with colleague PC Joanna Barclay (44).
He said they rang the doorbell several times and shouted to Edwards but no-one came to the door.
They knew from neighbours he was still inside the property and PC Macdonald said they went outside and when he came to the window Edwards started shouting and swearing, including the threat that ‘If you come in I’ll machete you’.
"He was screaming at the top of his voice then stopped abruptly and came downstairs to the door. He came out and held his hands out and was arrested,"
PC Barclay in her evidence said Edwards shouted :"I’ll kill you Macdonald."
The court also heard of an incident on 22nd October 2013 when Edwards was arrested after shouting threats at neighbours.
Sheriff Fleetwood heard he was seen hanging out of his first floor window shouting abuse.
He was cleared of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards two women but convicted on charges of threatening an elderly couple who had been visiting neighbours in the vicinity and threatening local resident Louise Mackinnon.
He was also convicted of breaching a court bail condition imposed at Inverness on 12th May 2013 not to approach Mrs Mackinnon by shouting and swearing at her on 22nd October.
Pensioner Bill Russell (72) said he and his partner Phoebe Mackenzie (68) had been visiting a neighbour in Croyard Court when he heard Edwards shouting abuse and swearing from an upstairs window.
He said he was saw a woman (Mrs Mackinnon) who had a young child with her and the child he said was visibly distressed.
"He was quite aggressive and it was distressing to watch," said Mr Russell.
Mrs Mackinnon (34), a child minder, said she had picked her daughter up from Brownies and was on her way home in the dark about 8 o’clock on 22nd October when Edwards began shouting at her from the window.
She said he had previously threatened to kill his daughter who was so upset she took her into a neighbour’s house.
Questioned by Edwards, who conducted his own defence, she agreed she had tried to get him moved from his flat by the council
She said some of the words Edwards used were "disgusting and vile".
Edwards told Sheriff Fleetwood he was on medication and suffered from post traumatic stress disorder after serving in the SAS.
Sheriff Fleetwood told Edwards this was more a plea in mitigation than a defence.
He found him guilty on three charges of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards residents and police and one charge of breach of bail.
Sentence was deferred until 28th January for reports and Edwards was remanded.
