Ex-soldier threatened to shoot police in two-hour siege

At Edinburgh Sheriff Court today, Mark Brown, 41, was placed on a 12 month Community Pay Back Order and ordered to perform 200 hours of unpaid work and undergo alcohol counselling.

Brown, of Viewcraig Gardens, had pled guilty previously to threatening to shoot, stab and kill police officers and a police dog and to brandishing knives at the officers.

Sentence had been deferred for background reports.

The court heard Brown phoned the ambulance service on October 18 at 11pm and told them he was going to cut his wrists.

They contacted the police and officers went to Brown’s flat, speaking to him through a window.

Fiscal Depute, Robert Freeland, said Brown was very aggressive.

He refused to open the door of his flat when requested and officers, looking through the letter box, could see he had a metal object in his hand. It later turned out to be a knife sharpener.

Firearms officers and a dog handler were called in. Police decided to force entry to the flat when Brown continued to threaten to self-harm.

“He got more and more agitated” said the Fiscal.

“At about one o’clock he started to threaten police officers that he was going to shoot them and the dog with an AK47 rifle and brandished two knives through the door”.

The officers managed to persuade him to open the door and arrested him.

They found a third knife and the sharpener, but no gun.

Mr Freeland said the police noted Brown appeared to be suffering from a mental illness.

Appearing for Brown at the initial hearing, defence agent Gillian Taylor, said he suffered from anxiety and depression.

“He tells me it was the anniversary of the death seven years ago of one of his colleagues who was in the same regiment”.

Sheriff Roderick Macleod told Brown he had caused a great deal of inconvenience and extensive resources had been deployed with police officers and paramedics involved.