The shadow justice secretary has hit out after a man who “could have killed someone” by launching a cooking pot, tins and glass bottles from an 11th floor window was admonished.
Scott Cameron, 27, laughed as he threw various items from the high-rise window at Aulton Court in Aberdeen at people on the ground below.
He even damaged a police car during the frightening episode, but now Sheriff Margaret Hodge, after hearing Cameron had been of good behaviour since the incident on July 26 2018, decided he should face no further punishment.
Cameron had pled guilty to a charge of culpable and reckless conduct at an earlier hearing last year, by repeatedly throwing mugs, tins, glass bottles and a cooking pot from an 11th storey window towards people on the ground, damaging a car.
During that appearance he was warned by Sheriff Christine McCrossan: “I’m sure it has been impressed upon you how serious this could have been if it struck someone. It could have killed someone.”
As well as culpable and reckless conduct, Cameron, of Aulton Court, Aberdeen, also previously admitted possession of cannabis resin and failing to appear at court on another occasion.
Sentence had been deferred for Cameron to make progress with a separate community payback order, but now Sheriff Hodge has admonished him on all three matters, meaning the conviction remains on his record but he does not face any further punishment.
Reacting to the sentence, Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary and north-east MSP Liam Kerr said: “This was a terrifying incident, for those in the block of flats, the public and police officers.
“Someone could have been killed or seriously injured and this is a missed opportunity to reassure those living in the area that measures are being taken to keep them safe.
“It’s vital people who have been affected by concerning incidents like this see the criminal properly punished and are not subjected to an endless cycle of violent behaviour.”
Defence agent Chris Maitland had told the court his client had been of good behaviour, which was confirmed by fiscal depute Lynzi Souter.
During a previous hearing, fiscal depute Alan Townsend told Aberdeen Sheriff Court a neighbour had been walking towards the building entrance at 10.30pm on July 26, 2018 when she “saw a mug land on the ground five metres in front of her”.
Mr Townsend added: “She looked up and saw the accused hanging out of his window laughing.
“The accused threw another mug in her direction which was centimetres from striking her head.”
Police were contacted and Cameron threw a piece of crockery at another neighbour, which barely missed him.
While noting a statement from the second neighbour, officers “heard another smash from outside”.
Mr Townsend said: “They went outside, looked up and saw the accused throwing a stainless steel pot from his flat that landed about a foot from them.”
He added that the police car also sustained small scratches.
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