Soldier who threatened to kill Muslims at local takeaway sentenced

The Courier and Dunfermline Press report on the sentencing of a ‘delusional’ soldier who went to his local takeaway armed with a machete and making threats to kill Muslims after he became convinced that the Taliban were operating out of the shop.

Scott Mackay, 32, was sentenced at Dunfermline Sheriff Court yesterday after being found guilty in April of acting in a racially aggravated manner on September 20, 2015 and being in possession of a machete and explosives.

The court heard Mackay had called 999 on his way to Sizzlers takeaway on Queensferry Road, Rosyth and repeatedly swore on the phone. He said he was armed with a machete and was “uttering threats of violence and death to Muslims.”

A police search of Mackay’s house in Rosyth on 21 September led to the discovery of “army explosives.”

Brian Black, Mackay’s solicitor told the court that his client had “negative attitudes toward Muslims” and that these “had arisen as a result of his experiences and operations.”

Mackay was said to be suffering from mental health problems aggravated by “heavy alcohol consumption.”

Sheriff Charles Macnair told Mackay: “This was a serious offence in the street in Rosyth. It saw you go out with a machete and you were threatening to kill perfectly innocent members of the public who, partly because of your delusion, you thought were posing a danger but they were not.

“Furthermore, you had in your house explosives which you had removed from the army.

“I’m acutely conscious that this order will involve your discharge from the armed forces.”

Sheriff Macnair imposed a community payback order with three years’ social work supervision, three years’ supervision under the forensic mental health team and a three year ban on alcohol consumption.

Mackay was also made subject of a restriction of liberty order for 12 months.