Engineers working on a substation fault at Kinross were approached by a silent, staring man holding a large kitchen knife.
Bruce Storie was high on street Valium and armed with an assortment of blades when he spooked SSE crewmen in the early hours of June 2, 2020.
The team had been scrambled to the facility at the Old Causeway Car Park at around 4am, Perth Sheriff Court heard.
Storie, of Coventry Place, Kinross, admitted being out in public with two knives and a chisel.
The 52-year-old was jailed for six months.
Simply stared at SSE workman
Fiscal depute Elizabeth Hodgson said SSE staff were working on a fault at the Kinross electricity substation in the early hours of the morning.
“One of the workers went to his vehicle, where the accused was standing,” she told the court.
“He was holding a large silver kitchen knife.”
When the engineer asked what he was doing, Storie simply stared back.
Ms Hodgson said the workman called the police.
About an hour later, police on patrol spotted Storie.
“They informed the accused he was being searched due to information the officers had received that he was in possession of a knife,” said the fiscal depute.
The court heard officers recovered two knives and a chisel.
‘No explanation’ for offence
Storie pleaded guilty to having bladed or sharply pointed items in Old Causeway Car Park and Burns Begg Street.
Solicitor Paul Ralph said Storie had taken street Valium that night.
“He is aware the court will be considering imprisonment,” he said.
Sheriff Francis Gill told Storie: “You have pleaded guilty to a very serious offence for which you have no explanation.
“There is no alternative to a custodial sentence.”
Storie was previously jailed for 285 days in September last year, after police caught him with a BB gun.
He told officer he was taking the weapon to court.
Witnesses reported hearing several loud bangs and saw Storie with his arm out of his car window holding what appeared to be a handgun.
