Man who attacked police officers with hammer facing life sentence

An armed attacker who assaulted police officers with a hammer has been warned he could face a life sentence.

Waqas Khalil struck two constables with the weapon during a confrontation at premises in Dundee.

The 34-year-old was earlier convicted of carrying out the attacks at the Pearl of Hong Kong restaurant and Craigiebank News in the city’s Arbroath Road on December 21, 2024.

Following the earlier proceedings, Sheriff Krista Johnston decided to send the case to the High Court to be dealt with because of its greater powers of sentencing.

A judge told Khalil at the High Court in Edinburgh: “The sheriff says you may be a risk to the public should you be released.”

Lord Mulholland said he would order that a risk assessment report be prepared on the offender.

The judge told Khalil, who appeared without legal representation, that the report would go into his background.

Lord Mulholland said: “That will be the basis of the sentence in due course.” He said that if it was found that the public was at risk from him, he could impose an Order for Lifelong Restriction.

The judge said: “That is essentially a life sentence. You may get released, that would depend on the Parole Board, but it could be a life sentence to protect the public.”

Khalil, a prisoner in Perth, was convicted of assaulting an on-duty officer by striking her on the body with the hammer after refusing to show his hands when requested to do so, acting aggressively, holding the hammer above his head and refusing to desist.

He was also convicted of attacking another PC and repeatedly striking him on the body with the weapon, causing him injury.

Khalil, who had been freed twice at Dundee Sheriff Court, was also convicted of possessing an offensive weapon, the hammer, and resisting or obstructing the officers in the execution of their duty by refusing to let go of the hammer and resisting the application of handcuffs.

Sentence was deferred on Khalil until June 4 at the High Court in Glasgow, and he was remanded in custody.