A man has been sentenced to a decade behind bars after a terrifying attempt to murder a police officer with a chainsaw in a Scottish town.
Violent rampage in Paisley
Liridon Kastrati, a 32-year-old from Albania, was sentenced to 10 years in prison at the High Court in Glasgow for the attempted murder of Police Constable Gary Cowan. The shocking incident took place in Paisley on 6 May 2024.
The court heard how Kastrati first deliberately rammed a stolen Volkswagen into the side of a marked police vehicle. The impact was so severe it activated the car's airbags. He then emerged from the car armed with a running chainsaw and gave chase to PC Cowan.
Officer's terror during chainsaw chase
PC Cowan provided a harrowing account of the attack during the trial. He described seeing Kastrati running towards him with the chainsaw held high, shouting "f*** the police" repeatedly.
"I thought if I don't create distance, he is going to kill me," the officer testified. "I was terrified... I believed he would saw my arms off, chop my head off." The constable managed to escape the brutal assault by fleeing from his attacker.
Courtroom outburst and sentencing
Kastrati showed no remorse at his sentencing hearing. Immediately after being handed the 10-year term, he launched into a foul-mouthed rant from the dock. He banged on the enclosure, shouted at the judge, and called him a "f****** terrorist".
The sentencing process had faced delays. Kastrati's defence counsel, John Scullion KC, explained that a planned meeting with a social worker had failed to occur due to a "misunderstanding", meaning a crucial report was not prepared. Judge Gallacher said he was "perplexed and frustrated" by the lack of the document but ultimately proceeded.
In a final act of judicial discretion, the judge dropped several additional charges against Kastrati, including breach of the peace, car theft, and various motoring offences, to allow the main case of attempted murder to reach a conclusion.
