A Burntisland man who barricaded himself in a flat with petrol-covered sofas, sparking a police stand-off has escaped being jailed.
Stuart Alexander Graham was ordered to perform 210 hours of unpaid work when he appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court for sentencing yesterday.
The 27-year-old was also placed under 12 months supervision and ordered to engage with addiction services.
Graham, formerly of Somerville Street, was warned he faced being jailed if he breached the order after previously admitting the March 30 incident.
Emergency services raced to the scene on Rossend Terrace after concerned neighbours became aware of a disturbance within a top floor flat.
Graham was smashing windows and throwing household items at the property before spraying himself with a liquid which he claimed was petrol.
He threatened to set himself alight before hurling abuse at police officers and members of the public who had gathered at the scene behind a cordon.
Specialist police resources were also scrambled to the scene, including negotiators and public order officers, during the incident, which last several hours.
Depute fiscal Sarah Lumsden previously told the court: “The locus is owned by Fife Council and leased to the accused’s uncle.
“At around 4pm, the police received a phone call to attend after reports of a male smashing up the property. Officers attended and found the accused there.
“It was noticed that he was extremely agitated and acting in a very aggressive manner. He was seen throwing a number of items out of the property.
“The accused started spraying a liquid from a juice bottle and told and stated that it was petrol and that he was going to set himself on fire.”
Graham, who was struggling to come to terms with his father’s death in 2014, eventually came down from the flat and was taken into police custody.
Defence solicitor David Bell yesterday said his client had been engaging well with a previous court order and could be managed within the community.
But Graham was chastised by Sheriff James Williamson when his mobile phone rang as he sat in the dock.
The sheriff sarcastically said: “Do you want to get that? It might be important.”
He was persuaded there was an alternative to custody for Graham and handed him a community payback order.
He warned: “If you breach the order, you could be sent to prison.”
