COURT NEWS IN BRIEF Man called police to say he was going to kill neighbours

A Coatbridge man called police and warned them he was going to kill his neighbours.

Derek McGroarty, 43, issued the chilling threat last month while calling 999 to complain about noise emanating from elsewhere in his Viewfield Road block of four.

Even after police arrived and attempted to dampen the flames of McGroarty’s anger during the troubling incident on August 7, he continued to threaten to kill his neighbours.

McGroarty was subsequently taken into custody and owned up to his actions.

During McGroarty’s sentencing in the dock at Airdrie Sheriff Court last week, the procurator fiscal explained the events on the day of the incident, telling the court:“At 9.10pm, the accused contacted the police to complain about noise, but made threats towards his neighbours while on the phone.

“He said,‘I’ll smash their skulls in’ and‘I don’t care, I’ll go to jail for murder’.

“He then chillingly added,‘I don’t want to have to kill them in front of a wean but if it’s not there, then they’re gone’.

“When police arrived, he was initially calm before saying he ‘couldn’t take it any more’.

“He threatened to‘put a nail gun’ through his neighbours’heads and then pointed at a golf club and said, ‘I’ll smash them with this’.

“He then told police,‘as soon as you leave, I’ll go up there and kill them [his neighbours].’”

McGroarty’s defence solicitor, Paul Belardo, revealed his client has an “ongoing problem”with alcohol during his summation.

In response, presiding sheriff Scott Pattison told Mr Belardo:“You are going to have to persuade me not to jail him.”

Mr Belardo then continued:“He’s a vulnerable individual, as stated in the report.

“He suffers from physical and mental problems.

“It’s been explained to him he’s in a very serious position.

“This is a wake-up call for him and he dreads the prospect of prison.”

Sheriff Pattison told McGroarty: “My thoughts until now were to jail you for at least nine months.

“You just can’t mess around like in such a manner.

“You’ve had community payback orders and been tagged yet you’re still offending.

“It’s because of your health problems that I’m refraining from sending you to jail.

“You’ll instead be on a restriction of liberty order for a period of nine months.

“You must stay in your home between the hours of 7pm to 7am every night.

“Breach this [order], and you will go to prison.”