Screaming children fled from knife-wielding man in street

Children playing in a Fife street were forced to flee, screaming for their safety, after a man pulled a large knife from his jogging bottoms, a court heard.

John Campbell, 41, admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner outside his home in Leslie’s Paterson Park on July 21 and causing children alarm by being in possession of the offensive weapon without a reasonable excuse.

Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard children were terrified when Campbell produced the blade, with parents having to usher them to safety. No one was injured.

Fiscal depute Alistair McDermid said Campbell had been drinking with others at an address in Paterson Park.

At around 5pm, he put the kitchen knife down his jogging bottoms and went outside.

“The accused was seen in the garden, pulling the knife out of his jogging bottoms, and at the time, there were children playing in the street.

“The accused then exited the garden with the knife in his hand. Adults saw the accused do this and ushered the children back into their gardens.

“The children were all seen to be screaming when they saw him with the knife.”

A woman who had been in Campbell’s group phoned police, while the accused was challenged to put the knife down. He went back inside.

Sheriff Gilchrist sentenced Campbell to a community payback order with 18 months’ supervision, and imposed an eight-month restriction of liberty order preventing him from leaving his property from 7pm to 7am. He will also have to attend drug and alcohol counselling and mental health support services as directed by his supervising officer.