A man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempting to murder a police officer by chasing him with a chainsaw.
Liridon Kastrati, 32, was convicted of brandishing the power tool at officers in Paisley, Renfrewshire, on 6 May 2024, after denying a single charge of attempting to murder four police officers. The 10-year sentence was backdated to May 2024.
During sentencing, Kastrati shouted expletives at Judge William Gallacher, calling the judge and Scotland a “terrorist,” before being led away by guards. Police Scotland confirmed that the targeted officer, PC Gary Cowan, has returned to work after the “extremely traumatic” incident.
Judge Gallacher described the attack as “seriously alarming,” noting that Kastrati chased PC Cowan for a significant distance while revving the chainsaw. “PC Cowan thought that if he did not get away from you, you would chop off his limbs and kill him,” the judge said. He added that much of the incident was captured on CCTV and mobile footage and warned that the potential harm could have been catastrophic.
