A Scottish judge had to walk out of his courtroom yesterday to jail a man for an horrific machete attack - because the violent thug was too dangerous for the court and remained locked in a police van.
Security staff were unable to bring Harrison Long, 28, to the dock at Selkirk Sheriff Court yesterday as he hurled abuse and threats and threw himself against the walls of the armoured vehicle.
So Sheriff Peter Paterson left his seat on the bench to go downstairs to the van in the court's car park.
Sheriff Peter Paterson conducted court proceedings outside in Selkirk when machete thug Harrison Long was deemed too dangerous to remove form the police van
Harrison Long smeared his faeces on the walls of his cell, it emerged at his sentencing today
Selkirk Sheriff Court in Scotland. Sheriff Peter Paterson left his bench and walked downstairs and out to the car park (not visible in photo) to sentence Long to two years behind bars
He sentenced Long to 640 days imprisonment - just under two years - over the appalling assault which left victim Colin Hendrie, 42, with a fractured arm and a blade wound exposed to the bone.
Locked in the police van Long screamed that his solicitor was 'f****** sacked', adding: 'I've got the right to represent myself.'
Sheriff Paterson did give the convict the chance to speak for himself but Long ranted further obscenities and repeatedly slammed the door and sides of the van, blocking out much of what was said in the makeshift courtroom.
The sheriff passed sentence and returned upstairs to continue the afternoon's business.
Long raved at two security guards standing outside the van before the Sheriff's arrival, telling one he would 'f****** smash your head in'.
Long was arrested in a raid by armed cops after carrying out the machete attack in Selkirk on February 3.
He left victim Colin Hendrie, 42, with a fractured arm and a blade wound exposed to the bone.
A trial heard Long brandished the two-foot weapon at five people who believed he had earlier battered a Staffordshire bull terrier.
Long protested he was 'framed' after a row erupted with the dog's owner, but a Scottish jury convicted him of the terrifying machete rampage earlier this month.
It was also revealed today at the sentencing that Long bit a police officer and covered a cell at Hawick police station with his own faeces after being detained.
And the court heard that Long had chased another man with a metal baton in a separate incident.
The victim had just found Long in bed with his girlfriend.
Colin Hendrie described the machete attack to the Daily Record saying: 'I suddenly saw this guy appear wearing a balaclava, padded clothing, and carrying a massive blade.
'He was swinging the machete towards us.
'I tried to grab him and got caught with it on the elbow.
'I hadn't even noticed I'd been hurt until someone in the bookies pointed out the blood.
'I looked and I could see my bone.'
