A man caught with a toy gun on an Inverness street has admitted carrying an imitation firearm.
Alan Craig had contacted police himself concerned about threats to his life, Inverness Sheriff Court was told.
But when he met officers on Baron Taylor’s Street to discuss the issue, he told them he was going to start carrying knives because he felt unsafe.
Hearing this, police conducted a search of him and recovered the fake gun from his jacket pocket.
Craig, 56, appeared from custody at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit the single firearms charge as well as failing to appear at an earlier calling of the case.
Fiscal depute Naomi Duffy-Welsh told the court the incident took place on December 15 last year.
She said: “The accused contacted police asking to speak to them regarding a concern that he had at the time. He advised police that he wished to be seen on Baron Taylor’s Street.
‘His life was being threatened”
“He told police he had heard his life was being threatened by youths in the area. He advised officers that due to this, and feeling unsafe, he was going to be carrying knives on his person.”
As a result of that statement officers searched Craig and “found a black imitation handgun in his left jacket pocket.”
Craig was arrested, cautioned and charged with a firearms offence.
Solicitor Mark Dickson, for Craig, said his client was a “fairly well-known local character” who “doesn’t always keep good mental health”.
He said: “Mr Craig seems to have been feeling vulnerable and contacted police to discuss those vulnerabilities.
“The item that was recovered is essentially a child’s toy – it has green paint on the handle and barrel, but the sort of size a member of the public might confuse with a genuine item at a brief glance.”
He added: “In short, he just wants to apologise for everything that took place.”
Fake gun man’s ‘foolish act’
Sheriff Rory Bannerman told Craig: “This was an entirely foolish act on your behalf, to wander round drawing attention to yourself with something of that nature on you.
“You have no idea of what upset would have been caused to the good people of Inverness if they had seen something of that nature on you.”
He warned Craig: “You are getting close to the end of the line, where the courts will only have the option to send you to jail.”
Instead, Sheriff Bannerman ordered Craig to complete 15o hours of unpaid work in the community for the firearms offence and a further 40 hours for his failure to attend the earlier hearing of the case.
He also granted a forfeiture motion, meaning Craig must surrender the imitation weapon.
