Knife thug attacked dad and locked mum in flat

A THUG son lunged at his dad with a knife and locked his mum in her own home – after they told him to sleep in a cupboard in the communal stair.

Steven Doolan pleaded guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. Picture: Greg Macvean

Steven Doolan turned up at his parent’s home looking for a place to spend the night but was left raging after being refused.

Doolan was told he was not welcome at the family home in Haddington, East Lothian, but turned violent after mum Annette gave him bedding and told him to sleep in the tiny stairwell cupboard.

The 30-year-old grabbed a knife and lunged at dad Duncan while his terrified mother was forced to shout for help from a window after Doolan locked her in the house.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told Duncan Doolan fled the house following the blade incident and managed to raise the alarm.

But when police officers turned up Doolan then turned on them and head-butted one of the constables to the face.

Depute fiscal Lewis Crosbie told the court Doolan’s parents were at home on the afternoon of June 26 last year when their son turned up with a request to stay the night.

Mr Crosbie said: “During the day the accused asked if he could stay the night, but was told he could not. He returned later again asking to stay but again this request was refused.

“This time his mother gave him bedding and told him to stay in the common stair cupboard. He left then returned later and threw the bedding about the flat.”

Mr Crosbie added Doolan appeared “agitated” and soon became “verbally abusive” towards the elderly couple.

“The accused returned with a knife in his hand and pointed it towards his own face”, added Mr Crosbie. “He then lunged towards Mr Doolan with the knife and his father fled from the flat.”

Mrs Doolan was then locked in her own home and ordered her to sit on a couch. The woman was said to be “clearly upset at this” request.

Mr Doolan then alerted the police to the ongoing incident and when officers arrived they could see Mrs Doolan shouting from a window claiming her son “had a knife”.

Officers managed to gain entry to the flat where they failed to spot the knife, but during the subsequent struggle Doolan head-butted one constable to the face.

Defence solicitor Andrew Mellor told the court his client suffered from “mental health difficulties” and had been prescribed medication for depression.

Sheriff Frank Crowe deferred sentence for the preparation of reports and ordered Doolan to return to court for sentencing on July 7.

Doolan pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting, swearing, throwing bedding about the flat, brandish a knife, prevent his mother Annette from leaving the property by locking the door and forcing her to sit on a couch during the incident at Artillery Park, Haddington, on June 26 last year.

He also admitted lunging at his father with a knife and to assaulting PC Peter Bamford by head-butting him to the face during the same incident.