A club-goer who discharged a taser outside Edinburgh nightclub The Hive has been jailed for five years.
Donald O'Flaherty, 39, had the stun gun - disguised as a torch - when bouncers at the Niddry Street nightclub in tackled him last December 23 2019.
Shockingly O'Flaherty was also found to have a knife on his person whilst at the busy venue.
He claimed that he had been asked for a light by a woman outside the club and pulled out the taser by mistake.
He later told police : "I always carry weapons for my own protection in case I need to use them.”
O'Flaherty insisted that he had never used the device 'on anyone' and knew that it was 'stupid' to have it in a public place.
He was jailed for five years yesterday at the High Court in Glasgow, having earlier admitted having the taser and knife in his possession whilst at the club.
Back-dating the jail-term to December 24 - when O'Flaherty was first remanded - judge Lord Matthews commented: "It was not the happiest Christmas you've ever had."
