Paranoid man pulled a knife on old friend

AThe complainer then left the area, with the accused following...

paranoid man pulled a knife on his old college friend in a Perth park and demanded: “Who are you?”

Jackson Convery took out the blade as he walked with his friend through South Inch.

The city’s sheriff court heard that the friend was in the process of legally changing his name.

Fiscal depute Elizabeth Hodgson said Convery met up with the man in Perth on October 1 last year.

“They went for a walk along the Inch,” the prosecutor said.

“The accused then pulled a knife from his pocket. He pointed the tip of the blade at the complainer’s chest area and asked him: ‘Is it Dean or Kyle? Who are you?’

“The complainer described the blade as being slightly over three inches long with a black handle.”

Ms Hodgson told the court: “At this point, a member of the public approached the two men and the accused put the knife back in his pocket.

“The complainer then left the area, with the accused following behind him shouting, ‘Dean, I want to be your mate’.

“After a while the accused appeared to calm down but kept shouting after the complainer and wasn’t making any sense.”

The man contacted the police and later showed investigators Snapchat messages from Convery saying he was “truly sorry, my friend”.

Convery, of Glengilp, Ardrishaig, Argyll, appeared in court via video link from prison.

He admitted having a knife without excuse or legal authority in a public place on October 1.

His solicitor said: “He believed that the complainer was out to harm him and he had the knife with him for protection.”

Convery, who is facing jail for an unrelated matter, apologised to his friend and to the police.

The lawyer told the court his client had no income and couldn’t pay a fine.

Sheriff Craig Mcsherry told Convery: “I note that this is a matter that was prompted by certain health difficulties that you were suffering at the time.

“I also see you have no previous convictions and you co-operated with the authorities from the outset.”

He added: “I intend to impose a fine, although I am told you seek no time to pay and so the alternative will be imposed – that will be a period of custody.”

The sheriff said the fine would have been £250, which will be converted into jail time.

The amount of time that Convery will have to spend behind bars was not set in court but it is understood to be between seven and 14 days.

LOCKED UP: Jackson Convery was jailed over the incident at the South Inch, Perth.