A terrified mum was forced to barricade herself in her bedroom and arm herself with a toolbox to shield herself against her drug-fuelled son.
Jacqueline McNaughton used a chest of drawers to jam the door closed to stop her son, Joseph McNaughton, 42, getting inside.
McNaughton’s mother had anticipated her son’s behaviour, which resulted in him waving a knife at her in her Barrhead home, reports the Paisley Daily Express.
Prosecutor Carly McLeod told Paisley Sheriff Court: “Shortly after midnight on April 13, Jacqueline McNaughton went to her bedroom and shut the door.
“She was aware the accused was becoming agitated and jammed the door with a set of drawers and other items.
“Around 4am, she was in bed and became aware of the accused forcing his way into the bedroom, forcing the door open and causing a hole to the landing side of the door at knee level.
“She told the accused to leave her alone but he jumped on to her bed and across the bed, grabbing her mobile phone.
“The accused was again asked to leave and he stated ‘I’m going to stab someone tonight.’
“He made other remarks of a similar nature that Ms McNaughton couldn’t make out.
“She also observed the accused to have one of the black kitchen knives in his right hand and she asked him to give her the phone and offered to dial 999. The accused refused.”
Court heard McNaughton, of Stewart Street in Barrhead, was asked to leave the bedroom and he did and he called the police.
Ms McLeod added: “While on the call to police, he informed he was in danger, that he was locked in the house and that he was in danger of people coming to the door.
“Jacqueline McNaughton could be heard in the background screaming and crying and the accused refused to put her on the phone when asked to do so.
“Ms McNaughton could be heard saying ‘His life is not in danger.’
“The accused then stated on the call that he had a knife.
“Ms McNaughton tried to shut the bedroom door and told the accused to wait downstairs till the police arrived.
“He then entered the bedroom with the knife at waist height and was waving it around.
“Ms McNaughton jumped on the bed and held a DeWalt box to her chest to defend herself and the accused stated he was going to stab someone tonight.”
When cops arrived to arrest out-of-control McNaughton he stated to officers he had behaved in that manner as he had taken speed.
McNaughton also admitted stealing an iPad from his brother on October 25, 2020, and to being in possession of diamorphine, a Class-A drug, on October 27, 2020.
Defence agent Charlie McCusker told the court McNaughton was “blighted by heroin” in October 2020.
Mr McCusker added: “He got himself off of heroin but, unfortunately, he seems to have substituted that with amphetamines.
“He was hallucinating at the time and has no recall of events.”
Sentencing, Sheriff Brian Mohan said: “It’s clear here that drugs have blighted your life and your offending behaviour shows that.
“Your mum barricaded herself in the room as she was aware you would behave in this way.
“There are numerous failures to comply with court orders on your record. It’s not the orders that aren’t working - it’s you - and so I don’t see any alternative to a custodial sentence.”
Sheriff Mohan jailed McNaughton for 11 months backdated to April 14.
