A man who chased a police officer with a chainsaw in a terrifying daylight attack unleashed a furious outburst in court, branding the sentencing judge a 'terrorist' as he was jailed for a decade.
Horror-film style attack on Paisley street
Liridon Kastrati, 32, was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow for attempting to murder Police Constable Gary Cowan in Paisley, Renfrewshire, on 6 May 2024. The court heard how Kastrati, originally from Albania, crashed his Volkswagen car into a police vehicle before arming himself with the power tool.
PC Cowan described the moment he realised he was fighting for his life. 'He was chasing after me with the chainsaw, holding the chainsaw up, running after me,' the officer told the court. 'I thought if I don't create distance, he is going to kill me.'
Courtroom explosion after sentence passed
Immediately after Judge William Gallacher handed down the 10-year prison sentence, which was backdated to May 2024, Kastrati banged on the dock and began shouting. He directed his rage at the judge, yelling: 'you're a f****** terrorist' and 'your country is a f****** terrorist'.
Judge Gallacher, describing the CCTV and mobile phone footage of the incident, said he had 'never encountered the use of a chainsaw as a weapon being wielded.' He remarked that many would think the scene was 'the stuff of horror films.'
Defence cites stress and immigration fears
During the trial, Kastrati's defence lawyer, John Scullion KC, claimed his client had the chainsaw in his car for a gardening job. Mr Scullion argued that Kastrati suffered from stress and had acted out of fear concerning his immigration status.
'When questioned by the police he referred to mental health saying that he suffered from stress which caused him to make poor decisions,' Scullion told the court. 'He conflates the police to anyone with authority in relation to his immigration status.'
The lawyer added that his client accepted responsibility for his behaviour, understood the fear and distress he caused, and had expressed remorse.
Kastrati eventually stopped his pursuit and placed the chainsaw on the ground, at which point PC Cowan subdued him with pepper spray. The prosecution dropped additional charges of breach of the peace, stealing a car, and motoring offences during the proceedings.
