Man jailed for knife attack on police officer at Glasgow flat
- Published
A man who tried to kill a police officer in a knife attack in a Glasgow flat has been jailed for 12 years.
Scott McGregor, 34, wildly swung a blade at PC Thomas Blair at the property in the city's Lambhill in October 2022.
The officer and colleagues used pepper spray and a baton in an attempt to stop him.
PC Blair suffered a minor hand injury before McGregor was tackled to the ground and handcuffed.
The serial criminal had been due to stand trial at the High Court in Glasgow, but instead pleaded guilty to attempted murder.
McGregor also admitted assaulting the two other officers, one of whom quit Police Scotland after the incident.
Judge Douglas Brown told McGregor he had been "completely indifferent" to whether PC Blair lived or died.
Officers had been called after it emerged McGregor's partner wanted him out of their flat.
'Wickedly reckless'
PC Blair, PC Daniel Hilditch and PC Magda Hawkins turned up and initially spotted the couple on the balcony.
Prosecutor David Dickson said: "Once they entered the hall, the front door closed and McGregor exited the bathroom with a knife in his right hand."
McGregor first lunged with the large kitchen knife at PC Hawkins, who used her baton to try and keep him away.
He also swiped at PC Hilditch, but the court heard PC Blair was mainly the "subject of McGregor's ire".
Mr Dickson said: "He repeatedly attempted to strike him on the body and accepts now he was wickedly reckless in doing that."
The court was told that McGregor was on four bail orders at the time and facing a number of charges, including earlier assaults on police.
He had previous convictions for violence, offensive weapons and disorder. The court also heard he was jailed for 18 months in November 2022.
Judge Brown said the jail-term would have been 13 years, but for the late guilty plea.
He told McGregor: "Police officers, because of the nature of their duties, often have to go into situations where they are at risk of violence.
"The courts have to do what they can to protect them by imposing sentences that make it clear an assault of an officer is completely unacceptable."
McGregor will be supervised for four years on his release.