Man deliberately dislocated his thumb to free himself from police cuffs, Inverness court is told

A man had run off from police in Inverness after being approached by police who suspected he had a knife.

William Christie (33) of Lossie Cottages, Elgin, admitted that on February 19, in Kingsmills Road, Inverness, he behaved in a threatening manner and ran away from police.

Inverness Sheriff Court was told that police suspected he had a knife and when they approached him, he made his escape.

Fiscal depute Roderick Urquhart added that he then barricaded himself in a house in the street by stacking furniture behind the door.

However, police persuaded him to let them in after about an hour and tried to arrest him.

But he acted aggressively towards them, removed one end of his handcuffs by manipulating his thumb, uttered threats of violence and acted aggressively.

Sheriff Gary Aitken said: “He has been watching too many action movies.”

Defence solicitor Duncan Henderson said that his client was on remand from Elgin Sheriff Court on another more serious matter.

Sheriff Aitken said that he would impose a significant fine with no time to pay rather than bring Christie to court.

He fined him £2000 and imposed the alternative of 45 days in jail.

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