'That's not a knife': Sword-wielding man's Crocodile Dundee threat to neighbour

Press and Journal

11 hours ago

A man has appeared in court after he quoted from the comedy Crocodile Dundee while threatening someone with a sword.
Darren Morrison's neighbour had brandished a kitchen knife at him following an altercation over noise, so he responded by fetching a replica sword from his own home.
He then brandished the claymore-style weapon at the woman – itself a replica from 1986's sci-fi film Highlander – and quoted from the Paul Hogan hit, telling her: 'That's not a knife…'
Morrison, 51, appeared at Tain Sheriff Court to admit a single charge of threatening behaviour in relation to the incident on July 3 of this year.
Fiscal depute Adelle Gray told the court that, at around 9.30pm on that date, Morrison and his wife had been trying to put their grandchildren to bed at an address in Westford, Alness.
His neighbour was 'playing her music loud' and when asked to turn it down in a Facebook message, she responded by telling them to 'f*** off'.
An altercation between those at the house and the neighbour followed, during which the woman slammed doors while holding a speaker.
She then grabbed a purple-handed bread knife and began to wave it, shouting: 'I'll take you all – come on then.'
Morrison's wife shouted: 'She has got a knife,' prompting him to go inside his own house and grab a replica sword, which was mounted on the wall.
He then returned to the garden and stated, 'That's not a knife…' brandishing the sword in her direction.
Solicitor Patrick O'Dea, for Morrison, told Sheriff Mark Lindsay, that his client had been referencing Crocodile Dundee with his comment and had 'not been trying to terrify' the woman in question.
Following this revelation, the sheriff questioned whether the scene appeared in the original film or its 1988 sequel, noting 'It's where he is in New York.'
The famous scene appears in the first film, not the Australia-based sequel.
Mr O'Dea told the court that Morrison – a 'genuine first offender' – was simply 'trying to make a ridiculous situation more ridiculous'.
He said: 'He bitterly regrets reacting to the complainer's bread knife – he now reflects on it as ridiculous.'
Mr O'Dea explained to the court that the 'huge weapon' wielded by his client was a replica of a prop from the 1986 Highlander movie and was not a real sword.
Hearing this, Sheriff Lindsay ordered the forfeiture of the replica sword and deferred sentence on Morrison for three months to allow him to demonstrate good behaviour.