A 22-YEAR-OLD man involved in an eight-hour stand-off with armed police and other emergency officers has avoided a jail sentence due to his age.

A crowd of around 60 people gathered in Grieve Avenue, Jedburgh, as specially-trained negotiators tried to coax Adam Redpath, who was armed with a knife, out of his property.

But he proceeded to spread lighter fluid throughout the interior of the flat forcing the area to be evacuated and the gas supply turned off.

Redpath was goading police officers to shoot him before eventually giving himself up shortly after midnight.

He pleaded guilty at Jedburgh Sheriff Court on indictment to threatening or abusive behaviour at the house in Grieve Avenue – which was sealed off by the emergency services – on September 17.

Sheriff Peter Paterson said it was only due to Redpath’s age that he was not imposing a custodial sentence.

The Scottish Government currently has a policy of trying to avoid jailing offenders under 25 years of age.

Instead he gave him a night time home curfew at a property in Glendinning Terrace, Galashiels, between the hours of 7pm and 7am for the next nine months and also placed him on supervision for 18 months as part of a Community Pay Back Order.

Depute fiscal Sarah Noon said Redpath had been involved in a number of on-going issues with neighbours and on the afternoon of September 17 he tried to confront one of them by banging on doors.

When police attended he was hostile towards officers and told them to go back to their own country – the officers were from Spain and England – along with a tirade of abusive and threatening comments towards them.

Redpath appeared at a window with a lock knife and made gestures with it and stated he had weapons in the flat.

He also cut himself with the knife.

As a result, specialist negotiators were called out along with armed police and dog handlers as well as members of the fire service and ambulance service.

A crowd of 60 people gathered to witness the stand-off forcing more police resources to be allocated to deal with the incident.

Ms Noon said: “The negotiations went on for about eight hours. He continued to behave in an erratic manner saying he wanted to be shot by police officers and spread lighter fuel on the floor of the property resulting in the area being evacuated and the gas supply switched off.”

She said Redpath finally gave up the knife at around 10.30pm and shortly after midnight said he would give himself up as long as he was taken to St Leonard’s Police Station in Edinburgh instead of Hawick Police Station.

Defence lawyer Ross Dow said: “It was clearly a significant episode.

“He was feeling suicidal at the time.

“They were empty threats that were made. He had mental health issues and it was a cry for help.”

Sheriff Paterson said part of what happened was “plain stupid” by Redpath and some of it was “attention seeking and making a fool of himself”.

But he added he was taking into account Redpath’s age and not imposing a jail sentence.

Redpath also appeared on a summary complaint accused of making threats against his mother and sister at the weekend.

He pleaded not guilty to both charges and a trial date was set for March 7 and he was bailed to the address in Galashiels with special conditions not to contact his mother and sister.