A 29-year-old man’s DNA was found on a petrol bomb after police were called to reports of people “fighting with weapons” in a Kirkcaldy street.
Leo Stewart was part of a group armed with knives, bricks and metal poles in Cairns Street East on June 30 last year.
He appeared for sentencing at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court by video link to prison after earlier pleading guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner while acting with others at two addresses there.
Stewart admitted attending in possession of weapons including bricks, poles and knives, shouting and swearing, throwing bricks, breaking windows, making threats of violence, and igniting a petrol bomb and engaging in a fight.
Prosecutor Sarah Smith told the court a local resident heard “shouting and fighting all afternoon” coming from two addresses in the street, with the shouting going back and forth between the properties.
At around 5.45pm, the witness saw the front door of one address had been spray painted with the words “grass” and “police informant”.
Minutes later they looked out their window and saw a group of about six to ten males and females, including Stewart, who all had weapons including bricks and metal poles.
The witness also saw a plume of black smoke after a petrol bomb had been ignited.
Someone shouted “police” and the group scattered.
Police had received multiple calls and were advised Stewart and others were in possession of knives and poles.
The callers had witnessed Stewart and two others shouting threats of violence and the windows at one of the addresses being smashed, before Stewart and others entered the other address.
Previous assault
At around 6.30pm officers were instructed to attend the street following reports of an “ongoing disturbance and people fighting with weapons,” the fiscal said.
On arrival they found a large crowd of people gathered in the street, mostly in the vicinity of the property with the spray-painted door.
No-one engaged with police at this time but a number of weapons were recovered from both properties, including two glass bottles with petrol-soaked rags within, knives, a baseball bat and a machete.
The fiscal depute said Stewart’s DNA was found on one of the petrol bombs.
Defence lawyer Martin McGuire noted Stewart has been on remand in relation to the incident since August 5 last year.
The solicitor said there had been an earlier incident in which Stewart’s sister had been assaulted.
Sheriff James Williamson noted Stewart has an unexpired portion of a prison sentence and returned him to prison for nine months.
The sheriff gave him a further jail sentence of 22 months.
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