A Dundee man thought his gas engineer was a “Trojan horse” and pursued him with a hammer.
Steven Bracy admitted threatening behaviour towards workman Ian Higgins.
Bracy, who was in dispute with his landlord, believed Mr Higgins had been sent to “sabotage” his boiler, rather than repair it.
The 57-year-old chased Mr Higgins outside onto Gibson Terrace.
The flat was the same one in which, in 2023, Bracy soiled himself after police arrived to arrest him in connection with a city cannabis operation.
A year ago, Mr Higgins was acquitted by a High Court jury of killing Andrew Cox by kicking him while working at an address in Forester Street, Dundee.
The incident involving Bracy took place three days before the second anniversary of Mr Cox’s death.
Tooled up
Fiscal depute Michael Robertson explained: “Mr Higgins is a gas engineer.
“He attended to fix the boiler at the accused’s address.
“At the address, the accused answered the door and shouted at Mr Higgins, ‘you’re not getting in here’.
“Mr Higgins walked away and said, ‘that’s fine, you’ll need to find someone else to fix your boiler’.”
The engineer left the building and made his way to his car but Bracy followed him with the hammer.
At Dundee Sheriff Court he pled guilty to threatening or abusive behaviour on January 3 this year.
Boiler sabotage paranoia
Solicitor Ross Donnelly said: “I think Mr Bracy acknowledges that the difficulty he had was not with Mr Higgins but with his landlord.
“Mr Bracy had formed the view that his landlord was attempting to sabotage his boiler.”
He added: “Mr Bracy’s mental health was not particularly good.”
Sheriff George Way deferred sentencing until August 8 when a social work report will be ready for other matters for which Bracy is due to be sentenced.
The sheriff said: “He thought the gas engineer was a trojan horse to damage (the boiler) or certify it was dangerous.
“It wasn’t Mr Higgins, it was the idea that he was someone from his landlord.”
Engineer cleared of killing
Mr Higgins has run into trouble while plying his trade in Dundee before.
On January 6 in 2022, the now-35-year-old was working in a city centre tenement when he entered the stairwell to investigate a loud bang.
He said there was a male and a female arguing so he went to a turning at the first landing and asked the woman if she needed help
He said the door had been kicked in at the close entrance and Mr Cox came towards him, appearing angry.
He told his trial: “I thought he was going to attack me, I have attempted to get away, I realised he was right behind me.
“I don’t know what I felt but I felt something on my back so I pushed my foot out to get away.”
Mr Cox fell down the stairs and struck his head, dying later.
Mr Higgins told the trial he acted in self-defence and was found not guilty by majority.
Accused’s dirty protest
Mr Bracy also hit headlines last summer when he pled guilty to a stomach-churning reaction to police breaking up his drug enterprise.
Police had arrived at his flat in August 2021 with a warrant to probe a cannabis operation.
While the other men went quietly, Bracy took on a “fighting stance” but then defecated and was brought to the ground.
While within the rear of the vehicle, he reached into his underwear to collect faeces, which he smeared within the cage and on his person.
When the vehicle arrived West Bell Street HQ, Bracy was naked and covered in faeces.
Police in white hazmat suits had to attend.
After being charged, he said: “Treat me like an animal, I’ll behave like an animal.”
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