The case against a Polish war veteran accused of attacking two female police officers with a knife and axe has been dropped.
Medical examinations of 98-year-old Sylvester Nowak, from Scone, have deemed him to have been insane at the time of the alleged attack, Perth Sheriff Court heard on Thursday.
Nowak was accused of assaulting PC Shona Beattie by brandishing a knife at her repeatedly, attempting to stab her on the body with a knife and stabbing her on the body.
He also faced a charge that he brandished an axe or similar object and a knife at PC Katie Deas and struck her on the head and body with them.
The incident is said to have taken place in Nowak’s Birch Row home on March 29.
Nowak was originally accused of attempted murder but the charges were reduced. He has never entered a plea.
He was absent from court on Thursday, with depute fiscal Alan Kempton explaining, “The Crown has asked that the accused does not attend court. There has been an extensive legal and medical investigation in this case, and the agreed medical opinion was the accused was insane at the date of the offence and is unfit to stand trial.
“The accused is presently care of Murray Royal Hospital, with suitable medical conditions there. Against that background, the Crown counsel instructions to me are to desert pro loco et tempore.”
That means the case could be resurrected, but considering Nowak’s health and age, that seems unlikely.
His agent, Frances Connor, confirmed he suffers advanced vascular dementia and requires 24-hour secure nursing care.
Nowak had lived alone at his Scone home for years, having outlived his wife, following a move from Dundee.
Ms Connor said, “As long as possible he wanted to cling to his independence and had the help of a family he worked for. It is questionable whether he would have been able to live independently otherwise, and it’s quite clear by the end of his independent living he was struggling due to his extensive dementia.”
Nowak escaped imprisonment by the Nazis during the war, reaching the UK by boat. A welder, he worked at the coachworks in Scone.
Tayside Police made no comment on the Crown decision, but confirmed one of the officers involved is still recuperating.