Buckie residents left terrified as drunk (46) threatens to burn down block of flats
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A MAN who terrified residents at a Buckie block of flats after drunkenly threatening to burn down their home while holding a Molotov cocktail has been jailed for 26 months.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that police had been called to Anderson Drive on July 25, 2023, to deal with another incident and encountered 46-year-old Jody Bruce.
Fiscal depute Pauline Gair told Sheriff Ian Cruickshank: "He approached an officer with something in his hand and appeared angry that a vehicle had been parked outside his flat. He had on a dressing gown, had a bare chest."
Mrs Gair said Bruce went away but came back and shouted at two of his neighbours. He wanted one to come outside, and threatened to burn their house down.
"He claimed he had a petrol bomb and was carrying a bottle with a brown rope in it and what appeared to be a grey sock,” Mrs Gair added.
“He tried to light it but burned his thumb. He tried to light it again and then said he was going to get more petrol.
"Both were terrified and couldn't understand why he was targeting them."
She added that police later arrested Bruce and seized the petrol bomb.
Sheriff Cruickshank asked what was in the bottle and was told it was a mix of ethanol and white spirit.
He commented: "That would make it an incendiary device. It is quite a potent mix."
Defending, Grant Daglish told the court that his client "has no memory of this”.
“He was on medication at the time, he is an alcoholic and had been drinking,” he said.
"He had no previous involvement with his neighbours and his only explanation is that it was the alcohol.
“He is currently serving a sentence for domestic abuse and his earlier release date is October, 2024."
Bruce admitted threatening or abusive behaviour as well as previous convictions including one where he terrorised other neighbours three years ago by turning up at their door with an imitation handgun and singing the theme tune to the James Bond movie "Goldfinger”.
Jailing Bruce for 26 months, Sheriff Cruickshank told him: "There has been no explanation why you decided to terrorise neighbours you did not know.
"You had previous interaction with the police but you returned minutes later with what is historically known as a Molotov cocktail .
“The occupants were shaken and terrified and that makes it very serious. You were also on three bail orders at the time.
