A woman brandished a knife through her letter box during a tense two-hour standoff with armed police sparked by her playing music too loudly.
Melanie Knowles threatened to stab and kill police officers during the incident at her address in Regent Court, Aberdeen, forcing firearms officers and a trained negotiator to attend.
Officers had originally been called after receiving a complaint about the volume of Knowles’ music, before the situation escalated quickly.
However, that motion was thrown out and Knowles has now appeared to be sentenced.
Fiscal depute David Rogers told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the incident began around 12.15pm on May 31 this year when police were asked to attend due to “ongoing loud music”.
Officers attempted to engage with Knowles, who could be heard “shouting and screaming incoherently”, but she refused to come to the door.
When she did eventually answer, she was holding a knife which she pointed towards the police.
She shouted and swore, telling the officers to leave before closing the door.
Mr Rogers said: “The accused was observed brandishing the knife through the letterbox in her front door.”
Accused ‘suffered from mental health issues and memory problems’
The police officers continued trying to engage but were met with a barrage of threats and abuse, including homophobic slurs.
At 12.45pm, armed police were tasked to attend, but Knowles “continued to act in a hostile manner, making threats to kill, stab and throw boiling water on officers”.
By 2.25pm, a trained negotiator had to be brought in, which did the trick and Knowles allowed officers in a short time later.
Knowles admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.
Defence agent Stuart Beveridge – not the solicitor who had been too loud for Knowles to concentrate at the earlier hearing – said she had “very little recollection” of the incident.
He explained she suffered from mental health issues and memory problems following an injury.
Mr Beveridge added Knowles had been cooking when police first attended and had been using the knife in that respect.
Sheriff Robert McDonald ordered Knowles to be supervised for six months.
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