A man who told Inverness police officers he would “gouge their eyes out” and warned “de-arrest me or you all die” has been jailed.
Scott Murray claimed to be the “British monarch” and above the law of arrest when officers tried to detain him.
During a barrage of graphic threats, he told one officer: “I’m dreaming of ripping your f***ing teeth out and feeding your colleagues it”.
Murray, 38, appeared via video at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit charges of threatening or abusive behaviour and communicating indecently.
Fiscal depute Alison Young told the court that officers approached Murray by a cashpoint in Inverness train station about another matter.
As they informed him he was under arrest and attempted to apply handcuffs he ran away into Falcon Square.
“The accused turned around and laughed. He stated “come on” and made a beckoning hand gesture in a goading manner at the officers,” she said.
Soon after this Murray was taken to the ground and handcuffed, but when he complained he was struggling to breathe officers got him to his feet and reassured him.
Shortly after this Murray “began to become threatening” and made comments to officers “threatening to gouge their eyes out and threatening to kill them”.
Scott Murray threatened to ‘chop up’ Inverness police officer
In the police van he made a number of further comments, telling officers: “I’m the British monarch, and I am above the law of arrest,” and “I’m going to chop you up, I’m the reigning monarch.”
He also told officers: “De-arrest me, or you all die.”
At Burnett Road police station, Murray made a crude comment about wanting to be observed performing a sex act on CCTV.
Solicitor Willie Young, for Murray, told the court his client had been recently discharged from the Murray Royal Hospital in Perth, where he had been receiving psychiatric treatment.
He said: “While he had been discharged and an assessment undertaken it was anticipated that he would continue to receive treatment at New Craigs Hospital on an outpatient basis.”
Mr Young continued: “As far as he was concerned, he was minding his own business, trying to obtain money from the cash machine when he was approached by police.
“He objected to what he, at the time, perceived as harassment or unnecessary contact.
“The irony of the situation is that nothing came of the matter that police wished to speak to him about originally. If he had responded in a more mature and sensible fashion, he wouldn’t be appearing in the court.
‘Completely unacceptable, completely inappropriate’
“He fully appreciates that his behaviour thereafter was completely unacceptable and completely inappropriate.”
Sheriff Gary Aitken told Murray, whose address was given as a prisoner in Inverness: “You have a poor record. Behaviour of this kind is completely unacceptable.
“Nobody should be treated like this, particularly not when they are just trying to do their job.
“Nothing other than a custodial sentence could possibly be appropriate.”
Sheriff Aitken jailed Murray for 14 months, backdated to July 24 of this year. He also made him subject to the notification requirements of the sex offenders register for five years.
