Defiant OAP who scared youths with replica gun

A PENSIONER who ended up in court after confronting two youths outside his home with a rifle insisted today he had done nothing wrong.

RAF veteran Ian Knight, who has previously been burgled, said he would rather face potential intruders on the street than let them into his home of 75 years.

Mr Knight, who is blind in his left eye, said: "I heard a noise outside one night. I'm 75 and blind in one eye and I feel fairly vulnerable.

"My house has been broken into before and in 1981 two intruders tied up my next-door neighbours and robbed them off a few thousand pounds. They ripped out their phone and left them tied up.

"You hear reports on the news of pensioners being attacked by burglars and some of them killed. I would rather confront an intruder outside my house than inside."

He added: "I had a reproduction Winchester rifle which was not capable of firing. I went outside with it and I didn't see anyone, but the two children saw me and they were obviously frightened.

"I did it just to scare them off – it couldn't be fired."

Two boys aged 12 and 14 had been causing the noise outside Mr Knight's bungalow in Blackhall at around 9pm. A parent contacted the police after Mr Knight emerged with the rifle.

The case was heard at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Tuesday. Mr Knight admitted having a firearm in his possession on 10 March this year at his home at Telford Road.

Mr Knight was originally an armourer in the RAF and was fully trained in the practice of firing weapons.

He achieved his marksman badge for rifle shooting while performing his national service between 1952 and 1954, and kept a number of rifles at his home but did not require to have a licence for the weapons.

Defence agent Murray Robertson said Mr Knight had become "slightly paranoid about noises outside" after he and his neighbours were robbed.

He said: "These children have made his life a misery with balls and stones coming over his fence."

Mr Knight bought the airsoft rifles for indoor target shooting in October 2003, but they were never used as he lost the sight in his left eye two months later after suffering a small stroke.

He said: "I had intruders trying to climb over the fence in my back garden and I challenged them and they ran off.

"The garage was broken into around five years ago and my house was burgled.

"When the burglars broke into the house they broke the glass in the front door and one of them must have cut themselves very badly getting in, and wiped the blood all over the sheets on my bed."

He added: "Any time I hear these reports on the news about pensioners being attacked in their own homes, this image comes back to me of my bed covered in blood.

"They took quite a few things of sentimental value, including a classical-style guitar."

Mr Knight, who never married and has no children, said: "As far as I'm concerned I haven't done anything wrong."

Sheriff Elizabeth Jarvie QC deferred sentence on Mr Knight until next month for background reports. His guns have been forfeited in the meantime.

She told the court she was not intending to send him to jail, adding: "I want to know the extent of the harassment he has been getting."

Mr Knight plans to sell his home and move into sheltered housing accommodation.