A man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for trying to murder a police officer after chasing him with a chainsaw.
Liridon Kastrati, 32, was convicted of brandishing the power tool at officers in Paisley, Renfrewshire, on 6 May 2024, having denied a single charge of attempting to murder four police officers.
The Albanian national used an expletive and described the judge and Scotland as “terrorist” when the sentence was passed.
Kastrati was earlier acquitted of charges of breach of the peace, stealing a car and driving offences after the prosecution withdrew the charges.
The judge had earlier told Kasrati: “In considering many incidents that I have over the years in Scotland, I have never encountered the use of a chainsaw as a weapon being wielded.
“Many might think that this was the stuff only of a horror film.”
During a trial at the High Court in Paisley in November, PC Cowan said he was in a police car with a colleague when a Volkswagen driven by Kastrati crashed into the side of the vehicle and activated the airbag.
The court heard Kastrati got out of the driver’s side, looked at the police car and “began to run away”.
The 35-year-old officer said he approached Kastrati with the intention of arresting him.
But when he was “about 10 metres” away, the accused returned to his vehicle and got out a chainsaw before pursuing him while shouting obscenities.
PC Cowan recalled: “He was chasing after me with the chainsaw, holding the chainsaw up, running after me.”
He added: “I thought if I don’t create distance, he is going to kill me.”
The officer admitted he was “terrified” and believed Kastrati would “saw my arms off, chop my head off”.
Kastrati was arrested after the officers called for immediate assistance.
PC Cowan and his colleague, who were both injured in the initial crash, were treated by paramedics.
The court previously heard that Kastrati was arrested and questioned without either a solicitor or an Albanian interpreter present.
He repeatedly made reference to the collision being a “car accident” when charges were read to him.
Kastrati had been remanded in custody for 18 months since the crash.
John Scullion KC, defending, told the trial jury: “Mr Kastrati accepts he removed a chainsaw from the car, he swore, he injured PC Cowan, he brandished the chainsaw at other officers during this frightening and distressing incident.
“You must convict him of those parts.”
However, Mr Scullion claimed the police investigation was “flawed” and “lacked neutrality and objectivity”.
The jury returned a verdict after three hours of deliberation.
Det Insp Jan MacColl previously praised the “courage and determination” shown by the officers and a member of the public who helped to stop Kastrati.
