A man armed with a knife threatened to stab a relative who had arrived at his Shotts home to collect belongings. John Nicol also warned he would kill a neighbour who asked him to stop shouting while her children slept.
Court hearing
Nicol, 47, appeared from custody at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted threatening or abusive behaviour in Inverkip Drive on April 11. The court heard a female neighbour was awakened by banging shortly before 2am. When she asked Nicol to calm down, he called her a junkie and threatened to shoot her.
Later that day, a relative and another man arrived to collect belongings from Nicol's house. Connor McIntyre, prosecuting, said: "Nicol was shouting and swearing while holding a large kitchen knife. He brandished the knife and threatened to 'plug' one of the men and his daughter."
Police response
He also told the other man 'I'll stab you'. Police officers arrived and Nicol shouted incoherently at them through his window. They tried to engage with him but his abusive behaviour continued. The officers went into the house and found the accused among the rafters in the loft.
He continued to shout and swear. He wasn't formally charged at that time due to his level of intoxication. Defence lawyer Stephen McQuillan said a "family dispute" was at the heart of the matter and his client has "significant mental health issues".
Sentence deferred
Nicol has previous convictions for similar offending. Sheriff Liam Murphy told him: "Your aggressive behaviour while in possession of a knife must have been extremely frightening for the witnesses here." Sentence was deferred for a risk assessment and he was remanded in custody.
