A shotgun-wielding serial criminal who terrorised an Inverness neighbourhood has been jailed for eight years.
The Hilton housing estate was put on lockdown as armed police launched a huge manhunt for Jimmy Smith.
Primary and secondary pupils were kept in their schools after lessons following reports of gunshots at a block of flats in Mackay Road as sniffer dogs joined the search for Smith.
He fled after firing a 12-bore shotgun at a window one of his neighbours was standing behind.
Smith, 63, was captured and a jury at the High Court in Edinburgh later found him guilty of attempting to murder Donna McFarlane
He was also convicted of culpably and recklessly discharging the gun from inside 111 Mackay Road, damaging a window and wall, and placing others in a state of fear and alarm, and of having the shotgun without a licence.
Last night, some members of Highland Council claimed the terrifying incident on August 22 vindicated Police Scotland’s policy of having armed officers routinely patrolling the city’s streets.
Smith appeared for sentence at the High Court in Glasgow yesterday and was jailed by judge Lady Wise. He had been convicted in March.
Inverness West councillor Allan Duffy said last night: “It’s definitely incidents like this that justify the policy of arming officers.
“There has been that one and a few others recently which have shown how valuable it can be having a well-trained, armed response which can react quickly.
“I have had my concerns like everybody else about the idea of arming police but, after speaking to senior officers last week, I am sure that they are a benefit to policing, especially in incidents like the one in Hilton.”
Councillor Norrie Donald, who represents Hilton, said: “I’m sure the court has sentenced him accordingly and it sends out a strong message.
“Police don’t know what they are going to get into when they attend an incident like that one and it does warrant the use of armed officers in these cases.
“It is better to have a fast response and protect people – that’s the job of the police – and they should have access to the tools to do the job properly.”
Inverness Deputy Provost Jean Slater said Smith “got his just desserts”.
She added: “I hope he has learned his lesson, that you can’t go round brandishing and firing a weapon.
“People commented that they feel unsafe in that area.
“But it was not an everyday incident. Inverness is a very safe place to live.”
Advocate depute Ashley Edwards told the court that Smith had “an extensive history of offending”, with convictions in the High Court for both attempted murder and assault and breaches of firearms legislation.
His record, which stretched back to when he was 16, also included robbery and theft.
The court heard that Ms McFarlane, 36, thought something had happened to Smith after hearing a gunshot and knocked at his door.
As she went to a window, a second shotgun blast whizzed over her head, causing her to “cower down”.
She told police that she had heard a voice say to “run” or “get away” before the shot.
She ducked and, when she looked up, she noticed gunshot damage to a wall.
A shotgun was recovered from Smith’s house and his DNA was found on a cartridge.
Ms Edwards said the second shot had amounted to “wicked recklessness as to whether Donna McFarlane lived or died”.
