Falkirk crime: Sex offender jailed after turning up at social work office with knives

Barry Buchanan, 47, was being supervised by staff at Falkirk’s social work office following an incident where he offered a group of schoolgirls £250 to give him oral sex and threatened to slit a child's throat.

Falkirk Sheriff Court heard that about 9am on March 1, he was met at the door of the social work office by his supervisor, who let him into the premises where a number of other social workers were also present.

Prosecutor Kristina Kelly said: "His supervisor engaged in conversation with him, at which point he produced a knife from a carrier bag and said words similar to, 'I've got this to slash somebody if they come near me'."

He was told he should leave the knife at reception, which he did, after changing his story to say he had it "for cutting meat".

His supervisor then took him into an interview room.

During a "vape break", he was heard by other staff members to make reference to "slashing".

He then produced a pair of scissors from the same carrier bag, saying, "I've also got these."

A police officer then arrived to join the interview, as Buchanan was under a Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) order which involved a Police Scotland input.

A female social worker went to reception to meet the officer.

Miss Kelly said: "At this point the accused again reached into his carrier bag and produced a Stanley knife."

Buchanan said that if the officer was "uniform" he would "kick off", and again used the word "slash".

When he was assured the officer was "not uniform" he put the Stanley knife in his jacket pocket, then handed it over to the officer.

Buchanan, of Grangemouth, who pleaded guilty to having the knives and scissors in a public place without reasonable excuse, appeared for sentence on Friday by video link from Low Moss Prison.

Defence solicitor Georgia Carey said Buchanan had alcohol-induced brain damage but knew that taking the items into the social work office was "not a sensible thing to do".

She admitted: "His previous convictions do him no favours."

Sheriff Wyllie Robertson - who described Buchanan's behaviour as "bizarre" - jailed him for 16 months.

He said: "No sentence other than a custodial one is appropriate."