Sex offender Kenneth Gibson abducted German businessman and attacked police in Edinburgh 'armed rampage'

A “very high risk” sex offender who went on an armed rampage weeks after he was freed from prison has been jailed for more than five years.

Kenneth Gibson attacked two strangers in the streets of Edinburgh after pulling a knife on police officers before shouting: “Do you want me to take a hostage? I will murder someone.”

Gibson told the woman police officer: “You are alright due to being a burd but I am going to kill you,” before pointing to her male colleague.

He then fled and grabbed a German businessman in front of his wife and pointed the lock knife at him before the victim managed to free himself.

Gibson then got into a car with a lone woman motorist who had just left a judo class and threatened to stab her after ordering her to drive, but she began to fight him and he ran off.

Gibson, 35, who was previously jailed for eight years for abducting and raping a 14-year-old schoolboy he forced off a bus in Edinburgh city centre, was traced and arrested by police and found to have dumped the weapon which was recovered.

A judge told him at the High Court in Edinburgh that the terror he inflicted on a woman victim continued to affect every aspect of her life.

Lord Young jailed him for five years and four months for his latest offences and told him he would have faced an eight-year sentence but for his early guilty pleas.

The judge also ordered that Gibson should be under supervision for a further four-year period and warned that if he breached licence conditions during that period he could be returned to prison.

He earlier admitted assaulting detective constables Kyle Crawford and Victoria Shaw on April 21 this year at Salvation Army premises at the Pleasance, in Edinburgh, by approaching them, threatening them with violence and brandishing a knife at them.

He also admitted abducting and assaulting Andreas Stemberg, 60, at nearby St Mary’s Street on the same date by seizing him, threatening to take him hostage and brandishing the weapon at him.

Gibson further admitted abducting and assaulting Liere de la Fuente, 32, by entering her vehicle in Viewcraig Gardens, presenting a knife at her, demanding she drive away, threatening to stab her and struggling violently with her.

The court heard that Gibson has been assessed as posing a high risk of general reoffending and a very high risk of sexual reoffending.

Gibson has been returned to prison several times following his sentence for the attack on the boy and was last released from jail on March 21 this year.

Advocate depute David Dickson said on April 21 the two plainclothes police officers approached Gibson at the Salvation Army hostel and began to explain to him why they had attended.

Gibson began shouting: “F*** yous, I don’t give a f***. I’ll plug yous. I’m going nowhere.” He was escorted away from the front door of the hostel but was then seen with a knife.

He refused to drop the weapon and shouted at DC Crawford that he would stab him. He claimed he was “off his face on coke” and did not want to go back to prison.

He fled to St Mary’s Street where he encountered Mr Stemberg who had left a restaurant with his wife and business colleagues. He seized him by the jacket and pointed the knife at him and told him: “Come with me. Come with me.”

Mr Stemberg pulled away and Gibson lost his grip on him. Gibson shouted: “Do you want me to take you hostage.”

A few minutes later Ms de la Fuente was sitting in her car after her judo class when she became aware of Gibson getting into the vehicle. She saw he had a knife and he said: “I am in trouble. Drive or I will stab you.”

Mr Dickson said: “She began to fight him and tried to block where the knife was so it did not touch her. She had a hold of the accused and was panicking whether to hit him or not.”

The prosecutor said: “She opened the driver’s door and began to shout for assistance and for someone to call the police. She described herself as being ‘really scared’.”

Gibson fled in the direction of Holyrood Park following the attack before being detained by police.

Defence counsel Fred Mackintosh KC said there was no sexual element to Gibson’s latest offending.

He said that in prison Gibson has taken courses and learning opportunities and “feels his level of anger has reduced”.