A Fife 77-year-old former Paratrooper who terrified a female taxi driver by showing off his “spectacular” decommissioned weapons has been placed on a curfew.
Thomas McCabe has had his liberty restricted for six months after Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard he had invited the woman into his house to sleep with him, before producing two rifles.
McCabe was convicted three years ago of pointing a deactivated revolver at a taxi driver after bringing him into his house.
However, on Monday, defence solicitor Chris Sneddon said McCabe had been drunk on the latest occasion and “he clearly doesn’t act like this on a regular basis”.
He said: “The best way to ensure that this doesn’t happen again is to place him under supervision.
“He does understand how serious this matter is.”
Previous conviction
Sheriff Alison Mackay said of McCabe: “If he wants to keep decommissioned weapons in his home and gets pleasure from that, that’s his right.
“What he’s not entitled to do is terrify other people.
“They (the weapons) looked pretty spectacular and frightening to me.”
She warned McCabe because he has a previous conviction for a similar offence, he met the threshold for a custodial sentence.
However she opted to keep him out of jail.
She told him: “I accept Mr Sneddon’s submission that supervision is appropriate.
“You appeared for a similar offence before and it’s a mystery to me how you come to find yourself in the same position.”
She placed McCabe on a curfew requiring him to stay at home between 7pm and 7am for the next six months.
McCabe will also be supervised for 12 months and must pay £400 in compensation to his victim.
List of charges
The woman had previously told how she had driven McCabe from Shorehead in Leven to his home in Greengates, around a mile and a half away, on October 23 2019.
A trial began but McCabe changed his pleas.
McCabe admitted in the course of the journey, he acted threateningly or abusively towards the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
He admitted repeatedly making sexual remarks towards her, making comments about her appearance and making reference to firearms.
McCabe repeatedly invited her into his home to see his guns and while paying his fare, showed the woman two guns.
His plea of not guilty to a charge that he had firearms or imitation firearms with the intention of causing the driver to believe they would be used in unlawful violence against her was accepted.
Revolver offence
As a 74-year-old McCabe left taxi driver William Begbie “shaken and distressed” after pointing a deactivated revolver towards him, before opening the cylinder and cocking the hammer.
The incident took place within the living room in Greengates, Leven on May 26 2017.
Mr Begbie had entered the property with McCabe so he could retrieve cash to pay for the taxi fare but was left horrified when the pensioner produced the Rossi revolver.
Police found the handgun tucked into his trousers after he left his house.
He claimed he was taking the item to a potential buyer.
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard at that time he had served nine years with the parachute regiment.
He told the court he had medals from his service and an AK-47 machine gun mounted on his wall.
