Man who streamed siege at his home sent to prison

COURT: Czech national posted video online during nine-hour police stand-off

An Angus man who livestreamed a ninehour siege to Youtube as he threatened to firebomb his home has been jailed for 17 and a half months.

Roman Tamborsky held police at bay for hours after telling them he had dowsed his whole home in fuel and would set it alight if they tried to arrest him.

Dundee Sheriff Court also heard that Tamborsky posted a Facebook message offering to fight a rival and taunting Police Scotland with a series of mocking messages.

Sheriff Lorna Drummond noted Tamborsky had offered no real explanation for his behaviour and had given her no option but to send him to prison.

Several neighbouring properties had to be evacuated while Tamborsky hurled a torrent of foul-mouthed abuse at police during the stand off.

Sheriff Drummond told him: “It was strange and really extreme behaviour. It took nine hours for the emergency services to deal with it.”

Tamborsky, 36, of Marketgate, Arbroath, told the court he planned to return to the Czech Republic when he is freed from jail.

Depute fiscal Saima Rasheed said: “He is known to be a violent and erratic individual with a deep hatred of the police.

“He posted derogatory videos on Facebook of himself ridiculing the police service of Scotland.”

The video challenged another Czech national to a fight and his victim said he felt genuine fear because he knew Tamborsky from a previous run-in.

“They were in fear for their life and of the opinion the accused was capable of carrying out his threats.”

Days later, Tamborsky called the police and hurled abuse at them and – when they turned up at his home – he immediately barricaded himself in.

He told officers he would kill them and said: “I’ve barricaded the front door. I’ve placed a lit candle behind the door.”

He threw an empty isopropyl alcohol bottle at the police and told them he had five more which he would use to soak the house before torching it.

“The accused began to upload video of the barricade and him shouting and swearing to Youtube. He continued to make threats.”

The siege started at 11am and it was not until 8.25pm that Tamborsky finally surrendered.

He admitted acting in a threatening or abusive manner by posting video to Facebook challenging a man to fight and making derogatory remarks about police on October 28.

He also admitted stating he had barricaded his home and poured isopropyl around while refusing to leave for nine hours on November 1.

He admitted acting in a threatening or abusive manner and forcing neighbours to be evacuated.

Solicitor Nick Whelan, defending, said Tamborsky had been working in the UK for 14 years and had lost his job prior to the incidents.

Mr Whelan said: “He was extremely frustrated – he had little money left to live on.”

Picture: Paul Reid. Police and emergency services at the scene of the incident in Marketgate, Arbroath, last November.

Roman Tamborsky uploaded footage on Youtube of him keeping police at bay during the siege.