Inverness man pulled a kitchen knife on a friend
An Inverness man who was forced to quit his home as it was declared by police a crime scene after the discovery of a body has avoided a jail sentence for pulling a knife on a friend he was visiting.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that 34-year-old Daniel McCafferty was speaking with Aiden Cameron in a garden at Galloway Drive, Culloden at 10.05am on the morning of June 20, 2022 when they both began shouting at each other.
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Fiscal depute Pauline Gair told Sheriff Gary Aitken that McCafferty then pulled a black kitchen knife from his trousers prompting Mr Cameron to run inside his house.
Mrs Gair said that McCafferty then fled, police were called and found the knife beside the gate in the garden.
She said: “At 10.41am the accused was traced in Murray Place.”
McCafferty, of Inverlochy Crescent, previously pleaded guilty to being in possession of a knife and also to a breach of bail by not showing up for a previous trial date. Sentence had been deferred for a background report.
The author cast doubt on whether McCafferty would be capable of complying with a community payback order and was concerned "he would be set up to fail", the court was told.
Defence solicitor Willie Young conceded that the case had "a chequered history" as his client had failed to turn up for hearings on two previous occasions which led to his remand in custody for a period.
But he added that McCafferty was living in a monitored house, had support from various agencies, had no cases outstanding and had not re-offended since this incident.
The lawyer explained: "There had been the death of a friend at his flat and it was being treated as a crime scene. He was transferred to other accommodation.
"He is at the stage of his life that he must accept responsibility for what he does. His support will not last forever."
Sheriff Aitken ordered that McCafferty be restricted to his home between 9pm and 6am for the next eight months.
He told him: "You do need to take some responsibility for your own life otherwise you will be in and out of jail. But you will need to do what you are told."
