A Black Isle man who threatened to burn down a hotel during a seven-hour siege has been jailed for six months.
Andrew McHattie went to his parents’ home in Muir of Ord because he was feeling
stressed – but an argument ensued and things escalated.
McHattie, 37, barricaded himself into the loft of the Tarradale Hotel and threatened to burn it down.
When police arrived, he refused to speak to them – and when an officer approached the loft to check he was OK, he threatened him with a hammer.
McHattie, 1 Stables Court, Munlochy, previously admitted behaving in a threatening manner, threatening to burn down the building, throwing coins at his stepfather William Dickson, threatening police officers with violence, lunging at them while brandishing a hammer and attempting to set fire to a duvet.
He also admitted two-and-a-half pages of previous convictions, and was remanded in custody for background and psychiatric reports.
Yesterday, at Inverness Sheriff Court, he was sentenced to six months in jail.
He told Sheriff Mark Thorley that custody was “the best place” as he got his regular medication in a controlled environment.
Jailing McHattie, Sheriff Thorley told him: “This was an upsetting incident for all concerned.”
Emergency services were called to the hotel at about 2pm on Friday, June 3, with several police vehicles surrounded the building, along with fire crews from Inverness and Dingwall.
Fiscal depute Roderick Urquhart told the court: “There is a pre-existing mental health history here and certain matters triggers stresses in him.
“He went to speak to his parents about it and there was an argument. He withdrew into a loft area and began banging about. He threatened to set the hotel on fire and began throwing coins at his stepfather who went to speak to him.
“As he was getting more agitated, the police were called.”
Mr Urquhart said that for most of the seven hours while police attempted to negotiate, he remained silent and did not engage.
“Police decided to conduct a search to determine if he was still alive and entered the loft. He threatened to set a duvet on fire and lunged at one officer with a hammer.
“The police withdrew but he then began speaking to them and agreed to leave voluntarily.”
Defence Marc Dickson told the Sheriff that his client had been advised by his practitioners “to seek an area of solitude when his mood became very low and this is what he set out to do.
“He bitterly regrets the distress he caused his parents and his period in custody has afforded him time to reflect. It also offered him regular medication in controlled circumstances and he feels it is the best place for him.”
Sheriff Thornley backdated the sentence to June 6.
