An Angus legal highs addict walked into a doctor’s surgery with a hammer strapped to his arm, a court has heard.
Marcus Agnew had become delusional and was advised by psychiatric experts to go to see his GP, but when he walked into the Arbroath practice the 24-year-old revealed the weapon to the doctor and a young medical student in the consulting room.
Arbroath Sheriff Court heard that Agnew, of North Grimsby, Arbroath, got an emergency GP appointment for August 27 after presenting himself at Dundee’s Carseview centre the previous day.
Depute fiscal Hannah Kennedy said the accused’s partner had become concerned about him and had phoned the surgery for the emergency appointment at Arbroath’s Hill Place medical practice.
“He attended the busy practice and during the consultation he advises the doctor that he is in possession of a hammer,” said the fiscal.
“He lifts up his sleeve and has it taped to his arm.”
Agnew handed over the weapon to the doctor and police were then called.
The court was told the accused was not found to be suffering from any significant mental health issues, but difficulties related to substance abuse.
Solicitor Billy Rennie said: “It is a fairly unusual set of circumstances and when he was spoken to by police he said he had it for protection.
“Since this he has had voluntary contact with his GP and been placed on medication.
“The issue at the time seems to have been the misuse of legal highs, which is all too familiar to the courts.
“His recollection, for what it is worth, is that he had specific threats from another individual who was intent on harming him.
“He stupidly carried this about with him on a short journey, but he acted entirely appropriately once someone in authority approached him about the item in his possession.”
Sheriff Simon Collins told Agnew: “This is an offence for which, in many circumstances, prison would be entirely appropriate.”
He placed the accused on a high tariff structured deferred sentence until November 26.
“He is still a young man, with virtually no record and it is within his hands to demonstrate that a Community Payback Order could be imposed after that.”