A man spotted with a knife on a Highland street told police he was on his way home to “make dinner”.
Robert McAllister was seen discarding the weapon in a bin after police were called to Dingwall’s High Street due to his behaviour.
When questioned by officers he said he got the knife from his “Aunty Mary”.
McAllister, 40, appeared via videolink at Inverness Sheriff Court for sentencing having previously admitted a charge of possessing the knife in a public place.
At an earlier hearing fiscal depute Emily Hood had told the court that at around 6.20pm on August 15 last year police received a call about McAllister’s behaviour from a member of the public and then traced him in Dingwall.
Man threw knife in bin
“On seeing police the accused was observed to drop a knife into a bin,” Ms Hood said.
The knife was recovered and McAllister admitted ownership, telling officers: “I was on my way home to make dinner and I got it from my Aunty Mary.”
Solicitor Natalie Paterson told the hearing there were addiction issues and poor mental health at play at the time of the offence
At the sentencing hearing defence solicitor Graham Mann said: “He doesn’t offer any excuses – he seems to have given in to a situation.”
Mr Mann explained that McAllister’s offending had been prompted by taunts from an unnamed party.
He said: “Certain things were being said to him by somebody that were cruel things in relation to other family members.”
Knifeman’s ‘terrible record’
But Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald told McAllister: “You have got a terrible record. You have offended previously with knives and other weapons.
”The incident ended fairly peacefully, I could have gone very differently.
”It is dangerous to have a blade in your possession in a public place this is something that you have done before and something that I hope you will not do again.”
She jailed McAllister for nine months, backdated to April 25, and ordered the forfeiture of the knife.
