Court / Aerosol flame ‘prank’ results in fine and £1,000 compensation order
A “DRUNKEN prank gone wrong” involving lighting aerosol can spray which burned a sleeping party-goer on the arm has resulted in a man being ordered to pay £1,000 compensation.
David Sandison, of Lerwick’s North Lochside, was also fined £450 when he appeared at the town’s sheriff court on Thursday.
The 26-year-old admitted culpably and recklessly igniting the can’s spray and thereby burning a man on the body to his injury at an address in Scalloway on 24 July last year.
Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said both men were at a party after previously attending a social event.
With drink consumed, the complainer had fallen asleep on a couch in the early hours.
“As he was seated the accused for some reason decided to apply a flame to the spray of an aerosol can and burnt the complainer on the left arm while he was asleep,” Mackenzie said.
The man was in “some pain”, the court heard – but ended up going home to bed, and only attended hospital the next day.
“The burn was described as deep and would heal, but would leave a scar,” Mackenzie said.
Video footage of the incident also spread on social media.
Mackenzie said Sandison contacted the complainer the next day to apologise.
When the police became involved, Sandison said he never intended to cause any harm.
Defence agent Martin Morrow added that people at the party underestimated how far the flame would travel, and its strength too, while his client struggled to reconcile the extent of the injury with what happened on the night.
He also said on the night there were no “overt signs” of distress from the man who was burned. Sheriff Ian Cruickshank suggested the complainer may have been “slightly anaesthetised” at the time – to which Morrow agreed.
The sheriff said it was apparent that Sandison did not mean to cause harm to his friend, but he ruled it was “very reckless” conduct.
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