Dundee crossbow shooter admits attempted murder of police officers

A man has admitted attempting to murder three armed police officers in a crossbow attack at his home in Dundee.

Michael Ley, 35, fired several bolts at the officers as they positioned themselves around a police car in the street.

They had been called to the scene in the city’s Whitfield area on 14 March by a concerned mental health nurse who had been visiting Ley at his home.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard Ley insisted that he didn’t want to harm the police officers but was feeling suicidal and “just wanted to die that day”.

Advocate depute Chris Jones said the officers were forced to duck as Ley fired off a series of bolts at them from his bedroom.

The prosecutor said one officer returned fire using a non-lethal round and that all three believed the accused posed a risk to life.

The officers then made an emergency entry to the property using flashbang grenades and detained Ley in a bedroom.

The court heard the officers found a sword and a large knife lying on the bed and recovered two crossbows.

Ley admitted assaulting the three officers in the execution of their duty by repeatedly discharging a crossbow towards them to the danger of life and attempting to murder them.

The court heard that Ley, who has previous convictions for culpable and reckless conduct, knife possession, housebreaking and breach of bail, was psychiatrically assessed in 2009.

He was diagnosed with a “drug induced psychosis or drug induced depressive psychosis”.

After the 14 March incident was brought to an end, Ley was taken into medical care and was arrested when he was later discharged.

He said: “I didn’t attempt to murder anyone. I was suicidal. I just wanted to die that day.”

Defence solicitor advocate James Laverty said Ley was currently taking medication and not abusing illicit substances.

Lord Stuart adjourned sentence on Ley, who is in custody, for the preparation of a background report and risk assessment.