A laughing hoaxer who lied to the RNLI about a yacht being lost off the west Highland coast has been jailed.
Alasdair Maxwell Munro, 55, “put lives at risk” after he made multiple calls to the coastguard over the vessel with a lifeboat crew sent on a “wild goose chase” on a stormy night to find the boat.
The search, and the subsequent prosecution, cost the taxpayer tens of thousands of pounds, the RNLI said.
Munro, from Kyleakin, was sentenced to four months in jail at Portree Sheriff Court.
The court heard that Munro called the coastguard several times on October 30, 2013, claiming a yacht was lost in remote Loch Hourn.
He claimed to have spoken to someone over VHF radio who said they were lost in the loch and did not know how to get out.
In response to his call, the Mallaig RNLI lifeboat and Kyle Coastguard rescue teams were dispatched to search for the vessel.
Police later interviewed Munro and found there was legitimate cause to believe his calls had been a hoax.
The widower, who conducted his own defence during the two-day trial, denied the charges but was found guilty of an offence contrary to the Communications Act 2003.
Jailing him for four months on Thursday, Sheriff James Scott said: “To be responsible for a false call leading to a lifeboat to be launched in weather conditions far from ideal is a very serious matter.”
The trial heard that Munro laughed when he made a malicious call – and again in court, which led to a reprimand from the sheriff.
Munro said he “could only apologise” for his actions.
Munro was condemned by the RNLI last night for his actions.
Richard Smith, the RNLI’s spokesman in Scotland, said: “If a real distress call had been given elsewhere we would have had difficulty in attending it and the life of someone in genuine distress could have been at risk.
“We hope the sentence leaves people in no doubt that the courts take hoax calls extremely seriously.
“This was a highly irresponsible act. Our volunteer crew at Mallaig were sent out on what was effectively a wild goose chase.”
Mallaig coxswain Michael Ian Currie, 55, who gave evidence earlier this week, described the sentence as the right decision.
“We were sent on a needless errand. It was just a waste of volunteers’ time and my time, and on a not very pleasant night.
“The risk is that we are in such closed-in locations that we don’t get radio reception. It’s very mountainous out here. In these sea lochs, there are a lot of radio blackspots that mean you can be out of communication for up to an hour sometimes. VHF and mountains don’t mix.
“If something proper had kicked off they may not have been able to get in touch with us.”
Jackie Mackenzie, of HM Coastguard, said: “The important thing is that the hoax caller was found and punished.
“We fully support the action of the police and the court in dealing with this offence. Hoax calls can and, in this case, did tie up a valuable maritime search and rescue resource.
“Those who risk their own safety to rescue others should not be put at needless risk in responding to hoax distress calls.”