Seven-hour rooftop siege at Perth flat

Riot cops called as slates thrown

A Perth man hurled roof tiles and chimney pots at police in a seven-hour siege.

Danny Stewart (24) will be sentenced on November 17 for staging the prolonged stand-off with police at his former flat in Stanley Crescent two months ago.

Perth Sheriff Court heard on Tuesday that Stewart wrecked two police cars and a police van as he took aim at officers, who seal off the street out of fear pedestrians could be struck and seriously hurt by the flying debris.

Depute fiscal John Malpass told the court police went to Stewart’s address on August 27 after receiving a report he had been banging on someone else’s door earlier that day, looking for his partner after learning she wanted to end their relationship.

He said officers saw Stewart hiding behind a hedge and when they approached him he ran off.

By the time they got to his flat Stewart was standing on an outside window ledge.

When the officers tried to talk him down he began rambling then made his way on to the roof.

Mr Malpass described how Stewart went on to rip chimney pots and slates from the roof then chuck them at officers in the street below, who had to take cover behind their vehicles to dodge the debris.

He said Stewart repeatedly refused to come down and riot shields had to be handed out to officers so that they could protect themselves.

Mr Malpass said specialist negotiators were eventually able to persuade Stewart to give himself up and he was finally taken into custody seven hours after the siege started.

Counting the cost of the siege, Mr Malpass said two police cars and a police van had their windows, blue lights, bonnets and side panels smashed, which cost the force over £17,000 to repair.

Stewart also caused at least £400 of damage to two civilian vehicles and Perth and Kinross Council put the cost of the damage to the roof at nearly £3000.

Sheriff William Wood told Stewart: “Clearly this was a bizarre and extreme reaction to the news [about your partner].

“It’s not normal to throw things at police for as long as you can.”

He deferred sentencing Stewart until next month for a background report and ordered him to be kept in custody.

Stewart had already spent 58 days behind bars when he appeared in court on Tuesday.