Police praise jail term for Fife Taser attack

The attack took place in May. Stock image.

And they say the sentence serves as a strong message to criminals in the area that potentially deadly weapons would not be tolerated on local streets.

Thirty-nine-year-old John Wishart was sentenced to five years and nine months in prison for the attack, which happened on the High Street in Methil in May.

At the quarterly Police Scotland update at the Levenmouth Area Committee last week, Chief Inspector Adrian Annandale described the attack carried out by Wishart, who was sentenced last month, as “frightening”.

The area commander for Levenmouth hailed the length of the sentence handed to Wishart, as well as praising the actions of the officers involved, who, he said, were still recovering from the incident, which took place on May 1.

“This was a frightening and significant situation for them,” the chief inspector told councillors.

“But the officers involved did really well, and now a man has been sentenced.

“This highlights the good work by the officers involved, and it resulted in a custodial sentence which is good.”

During his report to members, it was revealed that since the incident outside a pub in Methil in May, officers had also recovered Tasers – which are designed to temporarily incapacitate a suspect through the use of an electrical current– from two other addresses in the Levenmouth area, one alongside a large quantity of Diazepam.

Chief Insp Annandale explained that while all three occurred in Levenmouth in a four-month period, the problem was Fife-wide.

He explained to councillors that most people were obtaining the tasers online, where they were “readily available”.

Tasers are considered prohibited weapons under the Firearms Act 1968 and possession is an offence.

In the wrong hands they can be as dangerous as firearms.

News of the attack caused concern for elected officials, with Councillor Tom Adams commenting: “It’s imporant that we get the message out there that these things are a firearm, not a toy and they could be a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands.”