‘Drop the weapon’ - Inverness man jailed after pointing fake rifle at motorists
A police armed response unit was scrambled to deal with a man who appeared to be holding a rifle and pointing it at passing traffic and members of the public from his garden.
Alan Craig was spotted by a lorry driver who alerted officers but as he knew of Craig and his past record, told them he suspected it was an imitation.
Inverness Sheriff Court was told that nevertheless police treated the February 7, 2023 report as a firearms incident and dispatched multiple units to Kenneth Street which borders 57-year-old Craig's home in Muirtown Street.
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Fiscal depute Sharon Ralph told Sheriff Sara Matheson: "An officer pointed his carbine at him and told him to drop the weapon. He did but put his hands in his pockets. He was instructed to take his hands out of his pockets, place them on his head and turn round which he did.
"It was a plastic gun."
Craig admitted threatening or abusive behaviour with the fake rifle.
Defence solicitor Marc Dickson described his client as "a vulnerable individual who has had difficulties with substance misuse and poor mental health".
Sheriff Matheson jailed Craig for nine months.
She told Craig, who appeared by video link: "I view this as a serious matter which occurred at a busy place in Inverness and required a large police presence."
Craig's previous convictions included carrying a toy gun in Inverness city centre in December last year claiming he was concerned about threats to his life.
