An Elgin man who threatened his “extremely large” neighbour with a meat cleaver told him he had every intention of using it.
William Wylie had taken umbrage with the way he believed his neighbour had spoken to him so ran inside to grab a 15-inch knife, Elgin Sheriff Court was told.
Children watched on as the 43-year-old pulled the stainless steel knife from behind his back during the incident outside Wylie’s council house in Bain Road on May 2 this year.
Fiscal depute Karen Poke said Wylie had mistakenly believed a blunt shout of “give us the scooter back” had been directed at him from the couple living nearby.
“He thought they were speaking to him,” she said. “He asked ‘who the f*** do you think you’re speaking to? Don’t speak to me like that.’
“He was asked to calm down but this appeared to anger him further.
“He responded ‘we will see about that”.
‘Well, look at the size of you’
Wylie then went inside his home and returned appearing to have something behind his back.
His victim asked if he was armed and Wylie brandished the meat cleaver at him while about 10 feet away.
His victim asked: “What are you going to do with that?”
Wylie replied: “Well, look at the size of you – of course I’m going to use it”
After briefly returning inside, Wylie reappeared, minus the blade, and continued to argue with his neighbour.
The row only stopped when the complainer’s wife told both men to calm down because children were watching.
When police cautioned and arrested Wylie he told them he “hadn’t brandished a knife” but that only gave away his guilt since neither of the officers had mentioned the incident had involved a weapon.
Wylie instead told them he threatened his neighbour with a spanner.
He pled guilty to one charge of threatening or abusive behaviour and another of possession of a meat cleaver.
Defence agent Matthew O’Neill said claimed the victim was “a notoriously bad neighbour” who was about to be moved on from the council house.
He said Wylie had felt he was on a “back foot” given the height of the neighbour and so took a meat cleaver.
“In the days prior to this incident, Mr Wylie had suffered an epileptic seizure,” the solicitor said. “He hadn’t been well and had only ventured out for a short walk before heading home.
“There appears to have been some confusion over to whom certain language was being directed.
“The individual was an extremely large individual. Mr Wylie immediately felt he was on a back foot.”
Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood suggested Wylie could have simply “retreated to the house – it’s then over”.
He deferred sentencing Wylie, of Bain Road, Elgin, for a report to clarify whether he’s suitable for unpaid work or a curfew.
“Running around the streets of Elgin with a meat cleaver is ordinarily something that would attract a custodial sentence,” the sheriff added.
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