Jail warning to ‘gunman’ over threat to school

A GUNMAN who forced a primary school into lockdown after being spotted with an ‘assault rifle’ faces a lengthy stretch in jail.

Armed police were called after anxious parents spotted Malcolm Hilson, 32, wandering the streets and alerted the head teacher.

After a tense half-hour standoff, officers disarmed and arrested him and discovered that the ‘weapon’ was a ‘toy’.

Yesterday Inverness Sheriff Court heard that Hilson also had three knives hanging from his belt and rucksack during the gun drama near Inverlochy Primary School, in Fort William, on March 16.

He appeared from custody before Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald and admitted theft by housebreaking, having an imitation firearm and possession of knives.

Fiscal depute Roderick Urquhart said Hilson, of no fixed address, had broken into a mountain sports shop in the Highlands town and stolen £522 worth of clothing and equipment.

The following day, he was seen walking towards Inverlochy in the direction of a play park, with what appeared to be a weapon. Mr Urquhart said: ‘The witness told police he was just walking calmly carrying the gun like a soldier.’

Parents rang the school, which immediately ordered a lockdown.

The fiscal added: ‘Teachers were worried and pupils were upset, understandably so given events both in America and, previously, in Dunblane.

‘The threat to safety of those inside the school appeared genuine.’

He said police ‘boxed in’ Hilson and when he walked towards four nursery children and their parents, an officer shielded them.

The court heard he had his finger on the trigger and when the officer told him to put the gun down, Hilson said: ‘it’s a toy.’ He was then taken into custody. A spokesman for the school said: ‘The lock down went very smoothly and after correspondence with the police, normal classes resumed when the person was in custody.’

Sentence was deferred until July 24 for a psychiatric report.