Liridon Kastrati, 32, has been found guilty of attempted murder after he crashed into a police patrol and then chased a Scottish officer while holding a chainsaw.
According to evidence presented at Paisley High Court, it all started when Kastrati's Volkswagen hit a police car. After the collision, he ran away, but returned to his vehicle, grabbed a chainsaw and began threatening Officer Cowan, who he chased down the street, shouting.
The 35-year-old officer testified that he felt in serious danger as Kastrati pursued him with the electric tool in his hand. He said that at that moment he thought his life was in danger.
Initially, Kastrati denied the charges of attempted murder against the four officers, but the court found him guilty of only one of them. Meanwhile, the prosecution withdrew the charges of vehicle theft, disturbing the public peace, and violating traffic rules.
The defense claimed that the investigation had been biased and that Kastrati had been questioned without a lawyer or interpreter. After the verdict, Judge Gallacher warned of a severe sentence, calling the incident “extremely dangerous.”
