MAN who nearly blinded a police officer by throwing glass at his eye during a siege-type situation in Dumfries last week has been blasted by a sheriff.
Aiden McWilliam, of Carrick Road, confessed to several charges at the town’s sheriff court last Friday with Sheriff Kevin McCallum say- ing it’s highly likely he’ll receive a jail sen- tence.
The court heard how McWilliam, 32, was be- hind the wheel of a red Kia at Lochside Road last Thursday afternoon when a bang was heard by residents. McWilliam was then seen stumbling across the road and appeared to be intoxicated and holding his stomach. He was seen lying on the road, running up and down the street and almost collapsing.
Procurator fiscal David Orr told the court: “Passers-by tried to assist him but were told to f*** off by the accused.
“McWilliam entered his mother’s address at Lochside Road and soon after smashing sounds were heard within the house. The accused was seen to go outside and tried to harm himself.
“A number of reports were received by the police who attended. One sergeant saw the ac- cused topless and had blood on his arms. He appeared to be under the influence of an un- known substance.”
Police noted he was in possession of a pair of scissors and McWilliam made threats that he would stab them.
Mr Orr added: “The sergeant retreated for his own safety. The accused struck the bonnet of a police car with the scissors and then threw the scissors at the officer which narrowly missed him.
“McWilliam retreated into the house and was then seen at the front window and made threats to kill officers who had set up a cordon around the house.
“The accused smashed the front window by kicking the glass.
“He then proceeded to throw an ornament out of the partially smashed window and it was at that time a small fragment of glass entered into the officer’s eye. The officer re- quired to attend hospital but he didn’t suffer any injuries.
“McWilliam shouted at police saying ‘if you shoot me with a taser, I’ll shoot you’. He wasn’t seen in possession of a gun but the firearms unit was alerted.”
Mr Orr added that McWilliam was seen to take a bit of smashed glass and run it across his own face.
McWilliam also threw a metal curtain pole which narrowly missed officers. Then McWilliam’s demeanour began to change: he became tearful and said that he needed help. He engaged with officers and even- tually climbed out of the window and was arrested.
Sheriff McCallum noted that it was the court’s duty to “protect police officers who have an extremely difficult job and with people who behave in the manner that this accused has admitted to, this court has to do all it can to deter him or others behaving in that way”.
He added: “It is fortunate indeed that this police officer sustained a minor injury. The consequences could’ve been horrific.
“I know how fortunate people can be. I nearly lost my left eye when it was struck by a golf ball. They are delicate objects.”
Defence solicitor Roger Colledge told the court that McWilliam’s actions were a “massive cry for help”, which infuriated Sheriff McCallum.He said: “A massive cry for help? He nearly blinded a police officer with glass, threw a pair of scissors at police officer, threw metal poles at police officers; that’s a cry for help?
“There’s different ways to go about get- ting help but endangering public servants doesn’t strike me as the most sensible way.
“It’s appalling behaviour that could’ve resulted in tragedy for someone and a life changing injury.
“I can think of only few examples of more appalling behaviour towards police offi- cers, I’ve come across in the getting on for 35 years I’ve been involved in the law.
“I have an obligation to protect police officers who have a difficult job, who don’t get paid enough for the job they do, and then they are exposed to this kind of behaviour.
“A huge wake up call Mr Colledge? You know what really gets me in this court? I’ve been here for three-and-a-half years now and people speak to me as if I am stupid. I’m many things: I’m extremely bad tempered, short tempered, impatient but stupid is not one of my weaknesses.”
Mr Colledge continued to say that his client had been “working too hard” and was “burnt out”.
Sheriff McCallum responded: “I work too hard, sometimes I’m sitting here at 4 pm with nine trials still to start in this court. I don’t go around smashing windows and nearly blinding police officers or throwing metal poles at them. Lots of us work hard.
“I have no doubt he works hard but so does the officer involved here. He could’ve gone home yesterday having lost an eye.
“And he’s had this wake up call after the firearms unit had been alerted, police set up a cordon and had tasers in play. Really? I’m to hold to his credit that at some point the penny dropped that he might have got shot and not just tasered.”
Sheriff McCallum told McWilliam: “I think you can guess that I’m less than impressed. This is appalling behaviour.
“I hope you’ve got the measure of me that I don’t muck about.
“I’ll give the reports full consideration but it would be disingenuous of me and unfair of me to leave you in any other state of under- standing that at the moment I would take a deal of persuasion for this not to result in a custodial sentence.”
Sheriff McCallum added: “I’m not the bad guy here, it’s my job to deal with people like you.
“You are the bad guy here, your behaviour has brought these consequences home.
“Actions have consequences and they very nearly had serious consequences for that police officer.”
McWilliam will appear for sentencing on June 18 and has been bailed.
