A man who brandished a knife at a rioting mob of youths has been admonished after a sheriff ruled he was acting in defence of his pregnant sister.
The group of up to 30 youths repeatedly pushed community wardens as they tried to barge their way into a common close on Malcolm Street.
They shouted and screamed in an attempt to follow Matthew McLaughlan, 31, into his flat and one male youth made it into the close where he discarded a large knife.
Moments later, McLaughlan appeared at the front door of the close, waving the knife at the youths and shouting as he attempted to get his pregnant sister into the close.
Dundee Sheriff Court was shown footage of the incident captured on the body camera of one of the community safety wardens involved.
The female warden could be heard contacting police and repeatedly screaming “it’s going mental” and “it’s nuts”.
She shouted: “There’s an adult male who went into the close and came out with the biggest knife I’ve ever seen.”
Fiscal depute Vicki Bell told the court the block of flats was directly opposite a playpark which has been plagued by anti-social behaviour.
She said that on May 15 last year up to 30 youths were drinking there all day and three arrests had been made prior to the riot. McLaughlan returned home around 10.10pm by which point community wardens were on the scene due to the youths’ behaviour and he was “jostled” as he attempted to get inside the block.
His pregnant sister heard a disturbance outside and went out to help her brother. McLaughlan went up to his flat where he was told by his mum that his sister was still outside.
He then picked up the discarded knife and returned to the close where he stood holding the 30cm knife at shoulder height and pointing it towards the youths.
Solicitor Nicola Brown, defending, said: “Clearly if he shut the door once she was inside he could have pleaded self-defence but he stood there for quite some time after which is why this plea has been entered.”
McLaughlan, of Malcolm Street, admitted having a knife in a public place, on May 15 last year, at Malcolm Street.
Sheriff Alastair Brown said: “You were in a position where your sister was outside in a riotous mob of evilly disposed morons and vulnerable. I can see why it could be said you were acting in her defence until she was back in the close.
“I can also see that it could be said you stayed there too long but thinking clearly in that situation must have been very difficult. This is a wholly exceptional case and you will be admonished.”
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