Man who threatened to shoot police in lockdown stand-off avoids jail

A MAN who barricaded himself in his attic then threatened to shoot police during an alcohol-fuelled stand-off has been spared jail.

Dealing with what he described as a “lockdown incident”, Judge Neil Rafferty QC made Brendan Mccabe (43) the subject of a two-year Probation Order.

Belfast Crown Court, sitting in Newry, heard Mccabe struggled to cope with not working and being furloughed due to the Covid crisis and he turned to alcohol.

On July 25 last year, he had a row with his partner which culminated in him going to the attic of their Mica Drive home in west Belfast with his BB gun.

His partner called the police, and when officers arrived, McCabe — who had been drinking whiskey and Jack Daniels — said he had a gun and threatened to shoot them in the face if they tried to approach the attic.

A stand-off lasting almost three hours ensued, with Mccabe’s behaviour described as “aggressive” and “erratic”.

During the stand-off, which involved officers from the Armed Response Unit, a police negotiator was deployed to try and calm Mccabe down. It ended when Mccabe surrendered peacefully.

When his home was searched, a BB gun — which was never actually brandished at officers or used by Mccabe — was found, plus a small amount of cannabis.

The father-of-one was arrested and was immediately apologetic about his behaviour. He pleaded guilty to four offences.

With an address at Church Meadows in Dromore, Mccabe admitted possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, possessing a Class B drug and two counts of threats to kill police.

Defence barrister Sean O’hare said his client was a “victim of the pandemic”, and struggled to cope with not being able to work.

Noting Mccabe’s clear record, Judge Rafferty said he considered an eight-month sentence, but opted for a “more pragmatic approach” of a Probation Order to allow Mccabe to address his issues including alcohol.