Prison for shotgun man who caused siege situation in Little Denny Road

Alan Leishman, 30, initially contacted police and then hung up before talking to them. When they called him he said he had a shotgun with a string attached to it and was going to kill himself over a £20,000 drug debt.

The “bizarre” incident, which began sounding like a plot line from a film, was no laughing matter for the emergency services, who had to dispatch a large number of police officers, two ambulances and a negotiator to the scene.

They eventually gained access and discovered there was no shotgun.

Leishman appeared from custody via video link at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday having pleaded guilty to threatening behaviour at an address in Little Denny Road, Denny on June 14.

Procurator fiscal depute Eilidh Smith said: “It was 4.30pm and the accused made a 999 call to police which he hung up before it was connected. The operator phoned him back and he said he had done something bad.

"Thirty minutes later he phoned back and said he had a shotgun with a string attached to his toe and was going to pull the trigger. The response to the incident involved a large number of officers and two ambulances.

"The accused repeatedly stated he was going to kill himself with the shotgun. He said he owed someone a £20,000 drugs debt. He told police he had thoughts of grabbing the gun and hurting people and said he would not walk away from the weapon.

"Police had a negotiator there and when police gained entry the accused was there on his own and there was no gun recovered.”

Lynn Swan, defence solicitor, said the root of Leishman’s problems was his difficulty with alcohol.

She added: “He didn’t have a shotgun. He was coming up with plot lines from movies – it was a very bizarre incident.”

Sheriff Christopher Shead sentenced Leishman, 82 Little Denny Road, to six months in prison.