A SAUCHIE man at the centre of a siege in Tillicoultry hurled a boiling kettle at cops surrounding his flat after they declined a cup of coffee.

As reported in the Advertiser previously, Angus Cowan also lit the contents of an aerosol and directed the jet through his letterbox where a woman constable was standing outside, and flung a jewellery box and household items out of the window during a stand-off that lasted nearly three hours.

Last month, Stirling Sheriff Court was told that Cowan, 20, was high on drugs and drink.

Police had been called to Tillicoultry to investigate allegations, since dropped, of a domestic incident.

When they arrived at 11.30pm they were directed to Cowan’s address in Chapelle Crescent, where he had shoved a shelving unit behind the front door and was refusing to come out.

Graham McLachlan, prosecuting, said: “Effectively, he barricaded himself in the property.

“The police attempted to gain entry, but they were met with such phrases as ‘f**k off, I’ll rip your heads off’, and ‘I’ll go toe-to-toe with the lot of yous’.”

Police called for backup because of Cowan’s behaviour, and he was then seen to light the aerosol cannister, thought to have been deodorant, squirting the flame through his front letterbox while a constable was standing outside.

Mr McLachlan said: “He then threw various items out of the property towards the police, including a jewellery box, and later he emptied a kettle containing boiling water out of the window at the police as well.

“He ignored repeated requests to open the door.

“Then when the police are about to enter he realises the game’s up and he opens the door and is secured and handcuffed.”

The depute fiscal added that it was after 2am when the matter came to an end.

“This was ongoing for a fair amount of time.”

Cowan, now of Sauchie, pleaded guilty last month to behaving in a threatening and abusive manner and recklessly endangering police by throwing the boiling kettle and with the lighted aerosol.

Virgil Crawford, defending at the time, said no police officers were injured during the siege on November 16 last year.

He said: “It was one of those situations where the police had been called for a separate matter, but by the time they arrived whatever it was had come to an end, but understandably they wanted to speak to Mr Cowan.

“He was worried about what might befall him and decided to stay in the house, and behaved in the manner the court has heard about.

“He had taken alcohol and drugs.

“He was trying to stop the police from lifting him that night, but the reality was it absolutely guaranteed he was lifted.”

He added: “At one point he offered the police tea and or coffee – an offer which seems to have been declined by the police, and that’s what resulted in the kettle being thrown out of the window.

“It wasn’t thrown at the police deliberately, but there were police in the garden, and he knew they were there.”

Sheriff David Mackie remanded Cowan in custody and called for reports.

Returning to Alloa Sheriff Court on Thursday, Cowan was sentenced to a Community Payback Order with supervision for 18 months and a conduct requirement to attend Venture Trust and drug counselling as directed.

Sheriff Mackie told the accused: "This is an important day for you as you are going to be liberated on a Community Payback Order. You are starting on a road away from the criminal justice system."

Sheriff Mackie asked Cowan where he would like to see himself in five years, and whether it included a family, house or job.

He then added: "That journey starts right here. I'd like to think we can work together to get you where you want to be."