Man had crossbow near playpark in Perth Published duration 15 October 2015

image copyright Graeme Hart image caption Jamie Wisbey said he had been practising Bear Grylls-type survival skills

A man who was seen lurking in bushes near a playpark with a crossbow and arrows has been jailed for more than two years.

Jamie Wisbey was also carrying a locking saw knife, a mask, latex gloves and a wig when he was spotted near the South Inch park in Perth.

The Plymouth fisherman claimed he had been using Bear Grylls-style survival skills during the night.

A jury at Perth Sheriff Court found him guilty of having the weapons.

Wisbey's arrest sparked a high-level investigation after he was discovered with a bag containing "worrying" material including links to Libya and a Turkish phrasebook.

'Sinister aspect'

Jailing him for two years and three months, Sheriff Lindsay Foulis said: "As far as the jury was concerned you had them as weapons. What also had a sinister aspect was the wig, balaclava and gloves you had.

"I also consider it is appropriate to protect the public from serious harm upon your release and I will make a supervised release order for 12 months."

Wisbey had been seen in the bushes near the park on 1 June by a couple who had gone to feed the ducks because they were unable to sleep.

The fisherman claimed he had missed his train on the way to join a scallop boat in Buckie and had been using the Bear Grylls survival skills.

He told the trial: "I knew I was coming to Scotland so I was watching Bear Grylls and was interested in camping and things like that. I had cat gut for fishing and cotton wool for tinder and things like that.

"I didn't really know the wig was in the stuff in my bag. It was given to me by one of the family as a joke."

He had told police during an interview that the wig was to keep his head warm.

Bottles of methadone

Wisbey told the jury he had acted in a "sly and sneaky" manner by trying to hide the bag containing the crossbow and arrows and other items.

He admitted he planned to use the balaclava as a mask and said: "I thought it would be handy. It's Scotland. It's warm where I come from, but it's freezing here."

Fiscal depute Gavin Letford said: "Did Bear Grylls give you the advice to take on a fishing boat a wig, a crossbow and a mask? Were all of these items taken together not for the purpose of going on a fishing boat, but for some other purpose you were not wanting the police or court to find out about?"

Wisbey also had 11 bottles of methadone in the name of Monique Phoenix in his bag.

Wisbey was found guilty of having a crossbow and arrows, a locking saw blade and methadone in the South Inch park and the railway station in Perth on 1 June.

When Wisbey first appeared on petition, the court had to be hastily convened in the back of a G4S prisoner escort van over fears he had a contagious skin condition akin to scabies.

Related Topics Plymouth

Perth

Buckie