A Fife car passenger waved an imitation gun at people following in a Mercedes he believed was chasing him.
Colin Beveridge was in the back of a VW Golf when he brandished the BB gun after an earlier “falling out” with the other car.
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard Beveridge owns the pistol for organised airsoft events – a team-based shooting game.
He pled guilty to having an imitation firearm and possessing it with intent to cause the driver and passenger in the Mercedes to believe unlawful violence would be used against them.
Waved ‘gun’ from window
The court heard the four occupants of the Mercedes had been at a McDonald’s in the west of Edinburgh and were driving along the capital’s Maybury Road on the evening of May 16 2021.
Prosecutor Sarah Smith said the Mercedes driver became aware of the VW driver waving at them while stopped at traffic lights in the parallel lane.
They drove on and the VW ended up in front when the lanes merged.
The court heard there were further gestures and interactions between the occupants of both vehicles.
One of the Mercedes passengers signalled for the VW driver to pull over.
Beveridge turned round and waved the black “gun” through the rear window at the following car.
Police were called and the Mercedes driver tried to follow the VW in a bid to pass information about its location to police but it was lost to sight, the fiscal said.
Panicking passenger
At around 9.35pm a witness had called the VW driver and noted all three of the car occupants sounded distressed.
The driver said they were being chased and hung up.
When they returned home to Kirkcaldy, the driver repeated to the same witness they had been chased and the BB gun was “waved” to try to stop the car following, the fiscal added.
Beveridge, 24, of Lawson Street, Kirkcaldy, was arrested four days later.
A black airsoft pistol, in working order and designed for discharging BB pellets, was seized from the car.
It had the appearance of a firearm.
Defence lawyer Lee Qumsieh said his client and the others in the VW had been in the area “picking up a fish tank and ornaments” they had purchased.
There had been some “falling out” between occupants of the two vehicles and the Mercedes pursued the VW.
Mr Qumsieh said they were “panicking” but his client accepts he should not have brandished the firearm, which he generally uses in organised activity near Thornton.
Mr Qumsieh also pointed out there was no suggestion Beveridge was looking to use the item in a more threatening manner that evening.
Sentencing was deferred until January 17 to obtain background reports.
Beveridge’s bail was continued meantime.
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