Fife man jailed over knife rampage in St Andrews

A Fife man who took a cocktail of ecstasy and cocaine before going on a knife rampage - only stopping when police ran him over with a car and battered him with batons - was today jailed for more than three years.

James McKinsley was handed the lengthy prison sentence after trying to stab police officers during an incident in St Andrews, Fife, on July 7.

Several residents in the town's Watson Avenue called 999 when they saw McKinsley shouting and brandishing two knives in the area before he made off towards Chamberlain Street.

Cops quickly attended and found him in nearby Livingstone Crescent holding the blades at shoulder heigh.

McKinsley then stabbed the bonnet of the first police van to arrive on the scene and shouted "come on come on - I'm getting you".

Fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson told Dundee Sheriff Court that McKinsley then ran at the officers with both blades aimed at PC Nicola Purves.

She said: "She took out her baton and struck across him to keep him back.

"He continued to come towards her.

"It was clear to her that he intended to stab her.

"Sergeant Kevin Petrie then arrived in another vehicle and drove around Constable Purves to make a physical barrier.

"He continued to drive slowly towards the accused to force him back as he repeatedly stabbed the bonnet of the vehicle.

"Sgt Petrie then nudged him with the vehicle causing him to fall.

"The vehicle came to a stop with the accused's legs partially underneath it.

"The accused dropped on knife under the vehicle and then made a stabbing motion at Constable Purves, narrowly missing her leg.

"He then attempted to stab another officer but only hit him with the flat side of the blade across his forearm.

"The accused then stabbed himself in the leg four times.

"The officers struck him several times with batons until he dropped the second knife."

McKinsley, 27, a prisoner at HMP Perth, pleaded guilty on indictment to two charges of assault, one of possessing a knife and one of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner.

His lawyer said he was "remorseful for his actions" - and asked that a community payback order be imposed in the case.

But Sheriff Alastair Carmichael ruled only a prison sentence would suffice - and jailed McKinsley for 40 months.

He said: "Whatever problems you had on July 7 were self induced by drug misuse.

"These are serious offences.

"They are two very bad assaults on police officers.

"In those circumstances I have no other option than a custodial sentence."