Family terrified by front door fire bid

Aknife-wielding man who doused a Perth family’s front door with lighter fluid and tried to set it ablaze, has been jailed.

Liam McLauchlan mounted a seemingly random attack on a couple and their two children at a top floor flat on Rannoch Road. He ranted on their doorstep, while the children’s terrified mum sobbed and begged him to leave.

The 25-year-old appeared via video link at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted culpably and recklessly pouring flammable liquid on to the door of the family’s flat, before trying to set the liquid alight.

He also admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, likely to cause fear or alarm, by shouting, refusing to leave, striking a door and waving a knife about.

Sheriff Gillian Wade told him: “I am satisfied that the appropriate course is to sentence you to a period of imprisonment, backdated to take account of the time you have already served.

“I will also impose a supervised release order, to impose certain conditions upon you once you’re released from custody.”

McLauchlan, listed as a prisoner at HMP Perth, was jailed for 32 months. He will be placed on supervision for a year when freed.

Fiscal depute Matthew Kerr said the incident began in the early evening of April 17 last year.

“At the time, the street was busy with pedestrians and children,” he told the court.

“At about 5pm, the female occupant of the flat was in her kitchen, looking out of her window, when she saw the accused and another man involved in an altercation outside.

“She shouted out the window and asked them to stop.

“Both men went their separate ways and were lost to sight.”

Mr Kerr said: “At around 6pm, the woman’s partner was in the kitchen when he saw the accused entering the communal close.

“The accused made his way to the flat and began banging on the front door.

“The couple advised their children to remain in their bedroom, fearful of what the accused might do.”

When the couple opened the door, they saw McLauchlan standing on the landing.

“At this point the accused pulled a knife from his waistband,” said Mr Kerr.

“Scared for his and his family’s safety, the male occupant shut and locked the door as soon as he saw the knife.”

The fiscal depute said McLauchlan remained at the door and refused to leave.

He told the court: “The female occupant shouted to him ‘please go away, I’ve got two kids’.

“She was crying and begging him to leave.”

McLauchlan repeatedly accused her of assaulting him.

“She then noticed that the accused had lighter fluid and a cigarette lighter in his hand,” Mr Kerr told the court.

McLauchlan poured the fluid on to the door and attempted to set it alight with the cigarette lighter.

“The female occupant was unsure if it had caught fire but she smelled burning,” said Mr Kerr.

The accused continued to shout and wave the knife around, until police arrived at around 6pm.

McLauchlan was seen being led away in handcuffs.

Mr Kerr said the knife recovered from the accused had a blade which was 19cm long.

He told the court the accused had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and had more than 20 previous convictions, mostly for violence and disorder.

A solicitor for McLauchlan told the court he needs “treatment and stability,” and he had difficulty securing housing.

SCENE: The couple’s top floor flat was on Rannoch Road.