A CRAZED lout was shot by police after trying to kill officers with a crossbow.

Jamie Thomson sparked carnage during a near seven-hour stand-off at his flat in Kilbirnie.

A police marksman was forced to take action after the 25-year-old refused to surrender.

At one point, he screamed “I will kill you” before firing the deadly crossbow at officers.

Thomson is now behind bars after he pled guilty at the High Court in Glasgow to an attempted murder charge.

He will learn his fate when he returns to the dock next month.

The court heard the incident kicked off around 5.45am on March 12 this year.

Police were called after residents reported Thomson causing bother outside his flat.

When officers turned up, a topless Thomson was stomping around his home with a number of large knives on the window ledge.

He initially hurled one of the blades as police dived for cover.

Thomson meantime yelled from his first floor window: “I'll chop your heads off. Bring it on. I will kill you.”

Thomson – who also smashed windows - then launched fireworks as back-up was called for.

The court heard “a full firearms operation” - including three armed response vehicles – as well as police negotiators arrived in a bid to control him.

Thomson called his ex-lover at one stage to tell her he was “getting ready” to be arrested or “taken from his home dead”.

But, he went on to continue to throw items at officers – including glass, cans, bottles, crockery, ice cream tubs and a games console.

Thomson said he had barricaded himself in the flat before grabbing a knife in each hand and screaming: “f*** the police”.

The area was also sealed off, but Thomson refused to back down.

He then aimed a highly dangerous crossbow from his window causing marksmen to direct their guns on him.

But, he ignored them and repeatedly fired bolts from the weapon at police

Several officers narrowly avoided being hit after they raced for cover.

As police feared for their life, a decision was taken to shoot Thomson in the arm in a bid to finally end the chaos.

This happened at around 12.15pm – nearly seven hours after officers arrived.

Police stormed his flat and handcuffed Thomson before he was taken to hospital suffering from a gunshot wound to his arm.

After being arrested, he later claimed wanted to write a letter in “favour” of the officer who hit him and that there was “no need” for an investigation.

The Herald reported at the time Thomson was the first person to be shot by an officer since the formation of Police Scotland.

Sentencing on Thomson was deferred for reports.