Man who sparked firearms incident is jailed

Neil Brown claimed to have already stabbed someone and made threats to shoot the ambulance service call handler and harm others during the phone conversation, from his home in Hill View last month.

Brown, who had only just been released from a previous prison sentence for setting fire to his flat in Walkerburn, was ordered to carry out six months of unexpired sentence and given another six months jail by Sheriff Robert Vaughan.

The court heard Brown had earlier smashed a £400 window at the Newcastle Arms pub in Coldstream after being asked to leave following a disturbance.

When he got home, in the early hours of January 16 he made the call to the ambulance service in which he also said he wanted to shoot himself and, if anyone came to his house, he would shoot them too.

Emergency services, including an armed police unit, were quickly on the scene.

Brown met them at the front of his property but, when he failed to comply with directions of firearms officers, he was tasered.

When in custody, the court heard Brown apologised for his actions, insisted he never planned to shoot anyone, adding, he was "talking c**p".

Defence lawyer Ed Hulme said his client had a history of mental health difficulties.

Sheriff Vaughan said Brown had a long criminal record and had failed to comply with previous community-based disposals and added there was no alternative to a custodial sentence