Blind date ended in threats and three-hour siege

COURT: Alexander Kindred ‘lost the plot’, bragged about role in murder, forcing woman to flee her home

A man has been jailed after a Tinder date-from-hell descended into an armed police siege.

Alexander Kindred threatened to blow up a block of flats and shoot police officers during the three-hour stand-off in Alyth.

Perth Sheriff Court heard that the 26-year-old had been invited to his Tinder date’s home, but “lost the plot” when he thought his mobile phone had been stolen.

Kindred, who was jailed for 20 months, had bragged to his victim about his role in a homophobic murder in Perth when he was just 15.

The woman fled her home in fear, after Kindred brandished a kitchen knife at her and said: “You don’t know what I’m capable of.”

A man has been jailed after his date with a woman he met on Tinder ended in a three-hour stand-off with armed police.

Alexander Kindred, 26, who was involved in the hate crime killing of a Perth council worker in 2007, threatened to blow up a block of flats and shoot police with a shotgun and crossbow during the siege at Alyth.

Perth Sheriff Court heard yesterday how he “lost the plot” when he thought his mobile phone had been stolen.

He brandished a kitchen knife at his date, after telling her he had once killed a man. He said: “You don’t know what I’m capable of.”

The woman managed to escape from her flat, by faking a visit to the toilet.

Kindred then spotted his phone lying under the couch, just as armed officers, police negotiators and firefighters arrived outside the property.

He was jailed for 20 months when he returned to court yesterday.

Sheriff William Wood told him: “This is a serious offence, and I’m sure you appreciate that.

“You accepted that you brandish a knife at your victim, so much so that she left the property in fear.

“You made matters significantly worse and threatened to shoot police officers. You created a significant situation which lasted for a number of hours. This has resulted in a custodial sentence for you.”

The court heard that Kindred contacted his victim using the Tinder dating app, two weeks before he was invited to her home in Alyth’s Springbank Road in April.

Solicitor Jamie Baxter said: “He isn’t great socially and unfortunately he had some alcohol prior to attending.”

The court heard that Kindred and his date were joined by her sister and brother-in-law.

“All of them consumed too much alcohol and there was some bad feeling developing between the two men,” said Mr Baxter.

“The sister and her husband left and shortly afterwards Mr Kindred noticed that his phone was missing. He jumped to the totally wrong conclusion that the sister’s husband had taken it.

“At this point, he accepts, he just lost the plot. He acted in a completely abhorrent and inappropriate manner.”

He said his client went to the kitchen to get more drink, “which was the last thing he needed.”

I’m going to take three of you out. ACCUSED ALEXANDER KINDRED

Kindred took a knife from a drawer and waved it at his date.

She managed to get the knife off him and put it back in the drawer, before she fled the property.

“At this stage, Mr Kindred sat down and found his phone lying under the couch where he had been sitting ,” said mr baxter. “Shortly afterwards, the police arrived.

“He was not thinking clearly at all and he threatened the police,” he said.

“He accepts he was wholly responsible for the situation being blown out of proportion.”

During the stand-off, he told police he was armed with weapons he did not have. He told officers he would blow up the flat and set himself on fire if they tried to come in.

He said: “I’m going to take three of you out. I am a tax paying citizen. I will take you out.”

He gave himself up after nearly three hours.

Kindred was 15 when he was involved in the brutal murder of council worker James Kerr.

His homophobic assault on Mr Kerr led to his victim being battered to death by two of Kindred’s friends in Perth’s South Inch.