A man who was in Aberdeen city centre wielding scissors in each hand caused a standoff with police officers armed with tasers, a court has heard.
Kevin McCabe, 39, had been heard to state that he intended to cause “harm” before wandering down Union Street while shouting at members of the public and waving the scissors in the air.
Fearing he might hurt someone, armed police officers approached and drew their taser guns, forcing McCabe to surrender, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
But as police drove him to a police station, McCabe, also known as Tolmie, then stated that he was “about to murder” until officers showed up, adding: “I want blood”.
McCabe had two pairs of scissors
Fiscal depute Jane Spark told the court that at around 11pm on August 27 this year CCTV officers received a request from help from staff at the Co-op on Union Street, Aberdeen.
“This was due to the accused brandishing two pairs of scissors and stating his intention to leave and use them to cause harm to people,” Mrs Spark said.
Multiple police units were then dispatched to carry out a search for McCabe as CCTV operators saw him remove two sets of scissors from their packaging and place them in his left and right trouser pockets.
As McCabe carried on along Union Street, he was seen to remove the scissors from his pockets and “present them in the air while clearly agitated and irate”.
Operators saw the accused approach one man in an aggressive manner, while shouting and “presenting the scissors in the air”.
Two taser gun officers arrived on the scene due to McCabe’s manner and his “stated intention to cause harm to members of the public”.
“The constables were in possession of tasers and upon approaching the accused they saw his hands in his pockets with a grip on the handles of the scissors,” Mrs Spark said.
“The officers drew and aimed their tasers at the accused.
“He then removed his hands from his pockets and was restrained with handcuffs.”
The officers then removed two pairs of scissors from McCabe’s pockets.
‘I want blood’
As he was taken to Kittybrewster Police Station, McCabe stated: “I was about to murder until yous turn up – just my luck”.
McCabe’s chilling rant continued: “It doesn’t matter whether it’s today, tomorrow or next week, it’ll happen.”
He added: “It doesn’t matter if you give me two years in the jail.”
McCabe also made further comments about how he had the scissors to “stick them in their face,” adding: “I want blood”.
Ms Spark also told the court how, previous to this incident, McCabe had been caught on CCTV while throwing a rock through the window of the Co-op filling station, on Springfield Road, Aberdeen, on August 12 this year.
The total cost of the damaged window was £5,000.
Appearing in the dock, McCabe pleaded guilty to one charge of wilfully and recklessly destroying property.
He also admitted a second charge of being in possession of a bladed article, namely two pairs of scissors, and a third charge of behaving in a threatening manner.
Lawyer says comments are ‘concerning’
Defence solicitor Laura Gracie told the court that someone her client knew had called him that day making threats to harm him, which was why he was in such an erratic state.
“They contacted him by telephone and said they were coming to get Mr McCabe and that they had a knife,” she said.
“Upon hearing this, Mr McCabe then went into the Co-op and obtained the scissors.
“He does take the scissors out and he does talk to people – but he said he felt threatened and was concerned for his safety.”
Ms Gracie conceded her client comments following his arrest were “concerning”, but added that it was “all related” to the person who said they were going to harm him.
Sheriff Graham Buchanan told McCabe that there was a “strong likelihood” that he would receive a prison sentence in relation to this incident but also wanted to get background reports to assess “the level of risk that he posed to the general public”.
He deferred sentence on McCabe, whose address was given as HMP Grampian, in order for a criminal justice social work report and a restriction of liberty order assessment could be carried out.
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