A man sparked an armed police raid on a bus in Aberdeen city centre after a passenger spotted him holding a gun.
Lee Hipson had been “manipulated” into taking part in a plan to buy a BB gun, paint it to look like a real gun, and supply it to a friend of his girlfriend, Taylar Wetherly, 25.
And, Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard, the 29-year-old’s girlfriend even sent him pictures of her “partially undressed”, advising “this is what awaits you if you take responsibility”.
Hipson, who turned to wink at a female officer during the court hearing, was caught when his girlfriend dropped the weapon on a bus and Hipson was spotted picking it up.
Hipson admitted a charge of possession of the imitation firearm in a public place.
Wetherly, of Princes Street, Aberdeen, had her not guilty plea accepted by the Crown.
Defence agent George Mathers: “The gun was not for him. It was for another individual.
“The involvement of the co-accused is much greater.”
He said his client “accepts the blame” but added: “The truth is, the other individual who wanted the gun was a friend of her’s rather than a friend of Mr Hipson’s.
“When he went into the shop to buy the gun, according to the interview of the co-accused, she went in as well but was so embarrassed at his attempt to buy the gun because he was so drunk that she intervened and actually paid for the gun.
“They then leave with the gun and he started waving it around in public.
‘This is what awaits you if you take responsibility’
“She again took it from him, realising they were going to get into trouble and put it in her bag.”
Mr Mathers explained the BB gun was then painted black, to look more realistic, in the presence of Hipson.
They then planned to take the gun to an address on Holburn Street.
Mr Mathers said: “As she is getting on the bus she drops the gun from her handbag and that’s when Mr Hipson picks it up and is seen by a passenger concealing it within his jacket.”
Police were contacted and told which bus it was before following the vehicle and arrested Hipson and his partner.
Mr Mathers said the BB gun was only capable of firing pellets which “sting a bit” if hit by one.
The solicitor said Hipson has a “history of mental problems” and is on anti-psychotic medication as well as diazepam and methadone.
‘He is a man easily manipulated by other people’
He said Hipson was “carrying the can for this knowing it would be not guilty accepted for the co-accused”, who he had been going out with for a couple of months.
Mr Mathers went on: “There were photos on Facebook of the co-accused with a collection of guns around her.
“Other photos of her partially dressed she sent to him in prison saying ‘this is what awaits you if you take responsibility’.”
He stressed this was not why the father-of-one was pleading guilty.
He continued: “He felt during the relationship she was manipulating him, taking his medication and dispensing it to him when she felt it was appropriate.”
Mr Mathers said Hipson had a “shocking” record stemming from a difficult childhood, the first conviction coming aged 15.
He said: “He has struggled with drugs and so forth since that time.
“He is a man easily manipulated by other people. I ask the court to accept that in this case he was manipulated.”
Sheriff Morag McLaughlin ordered Hipson, a prisoner of HMP Grampian, to be jailed for nine months, backdated to May 5 when he was first remanded.
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