Man sent to jail after making threats to kill sheriff

A MAN who threatened to blow a sheriff’s head off with a shotgun has been jailed for more than three years.

Serial offender Thomas Rundell, 43, told respected legal figure Sheriff Nikola Stewart he would hunt her down and kill her after angrily shouting at her during a court appearance.

Rundell, of Lanark, continued to shout vicious threats against Sheriff Stewart even after he had been taken to cells at Lanark Sheriff Court when he appeared before her earlier this year.

He had appeared in connection with a domestic abuse allegation when he launched into his rants.

Rundell has now appeared at Airdrie Sheriff Court where Sheriff Richard Clark jailed him for three years and two months.

He said: “In any circumstances the court would consider that behaviour to be highly reprehensible.

“However, far more seriously, you directly threatened to kill the sheriff, first swearing on your father’s grave that you would find her and kill her, and then in the cells you threatened to get a shotgun and blow her head off.

“You have an appalling record of violence, including previous convictions that include assault to severe injury and impairment of life and numerous convictions for assault to injury.

“The record includes matters in which Sheriff Stewart in exercise of her judicial office has imposed sentences for assault to injury and I have been advised that she was well acquainted with your record.”

Sheriff Clark reduced Rundell’s sentence from 48 months due to his early guilty plea and backdated it to February.