Man tried to kill police officers with crossbow during stand-off at his home

A man tried to murder three armed police officers in a crossbow attack from the window of his home in Dundee.

Michael Ley began firing towards armed officers as they stood around a police vehicle in Earlston Avenue, Dundee.

Officers were forced to duck as the 34-year-old attempted to hit them during the incident on March this year.

Ley appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh where he admitted assaulting the three officers by repeatedly discharging a crossbow towards them to the danger of life and attempting to murder them.

The court heard how Ley maintains it was not his intention to hurt anyone despite firing several bolts from the crossbow towards officers.

Police had been called to the property after a community mental health nurse became concerned about his behaviour and reports of weapons in his possession.

Ley told police that he did not wish to harm anyone and barricaded himself in. A police negotiator was brought in but Ley continued to stay in the room.

The property was evacuated and at one point Ley agreed to drop a crossbow out of the bedroom window, but failed to do so. Firearms officers and an ambulance were deployed.

Advocate depute Chris Jones said: “After a prolonged period of engagement, the accused exhibited a sudden and immediate change of intent.

“He stepped forward to his window and fired several crossbow bolts towards firearms officers who were in position around a police vehicle.”

One officer heard the sound of bolts being fired through the air past his head. As he ducked, he saw the accused, who was using the brickwork beneath the bedroom window to hide, fire another bolt through the air towards him.

A bolt struck the police vehicle directly in front of the officers which they were using for cover.

Another bolt passed close to another officer’s head, striking behind him.

When the officer lifted his head, he saw Ley pointing a crossbow directly in his direction. He then returned fire with a single live round.

The advocate depute said: “In the course of the exchange, the officer returned fire using a non-lethal round. All considered the accused posed a risk to life.”

The prosecutor said that while Ley was firing two more bolts from the window at Earlston Avenue, towards officers deployed outside other police made an emergency entry to the property using flashbang grenades and detained Ley in a bedroom.

They saw a sword and a large knife lying using flashbang grenades on the bed and recovered two crossbows which had a draw of 80lb and 50lb.

The court heard that Ley, who has previous convictions for culpable and reckless conduct, knife possession, housebreaking and breach of bail, was psychiatrically assessed in 2009.

He was diagnosed with a “drug induced psychosis or drug induced depressive psychosis”.

Mr Jones said: “In the week preceding March 14 the accused’s mental health had deteriorated. He had not been taking his medication and had been consuming cannabis.”

After the incident was brought to an end Ley was taken into medical care and was arrested when he was later discharged. He said: “I didn’t attempt to murder anyone. I was suicidal. I just wanted to die that day.”

Defence solicitor advocate James Laverty said Ley was currently taking medication and not abusing illicit substances.

Lord Stuart adjourned sentence on Ley, who is in custody, for the preparation of a background report and risk assessment.