A Perth delivery driver triggered an armed police response with a BB gun he bought at a car boot sale.
A concerned passer-by reported Zlatan Zlatanov when she saw him “showing off” what she thought was a genuine pistol.
Perth Sheriff Court heard how armed officers were scrambled to seize and safeguard the firearm.
Zlatanov, 26, appeared in the dock and admitted having an air weapon in public without lawful authority, at Crieff Road on September 18 2022.
Waving weapon around
Fiscal depute Stuart Hamilton said: “At about 4.20pm, the accused was at the locus, showing off his BB gun to a friend.
“He was waving it around, aiming it at surfaces and pulling the trigger.”
The prosecutor said: “This was overseen by witnesses who asked the accused to put the firearm away as their were children present.
“The accused agreed to put the gun away inside his car.”
Mr Hamilton said: “Around this time, police officers were flagged down by a member of the public.
”She alerted them to a male with what she believed was a real gun.”
Officers dashed over to Zlatanov and searched him.
“The BB gun was found in the passenger seat of his car,” Mr Hamilton said.
“The accused told constables he had bought the item at Errol car boot sale.”
The fiscal depute said that armed officers were deployed.
They seized the weapon, cleared the chamber and emptied the magazine.
Unaware of firearm laws
Solicitor Pauline Cullerton, defending, said: “Mr Zlatanov appears before the court with no previous convictions.
“He is Bulgarian and wasn’t fully aware that it was against the law to have an item like this in a public place.”
Sheriff William Wood told self-employed delivery driver Zlatanov: “Clearly this is quite a serious offence.
“It must have caused some concern.
“In fact, the witness in this case was concerned enough to report it to the police.”
Zlatanov, of Dunkeld Road, was fined £750.
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