Farmer plagued by yobs admits firing air weapon

Dec 4 2008 by Alastair McNeill, Hamilton Advertiser

Farmer plagued by yobs admits firing air weapon

A LARKHALL farmer fed-up with being targeted by yobs, fired a weapon on seeing a group of schoolboys near his home.

Seventy-five-year-old Daniel Taylor had been charged with assaulting the group of five boys, aged between 11 and 14, at Shaws Farm on Sunday, September 23, last year, by firing a shotgun at them.

However, on Monday the pensioner pleaded guilty to an amended alternative charge of recklessly discharging an air rifle in the boys’ presence.

Fiscal-depute Jim Leck told Hamilton Sheriff Court the incident occurred at about 1pm when the boys were passing through a field at the back of the farmer’s house on their way to a wooded area.

They had claimed that they heard a bang and when they looked round saw the accused.

“He appeared to be carrying a firearm which is now accepted to be an air gun,” Mr Leck added.

Taylor made his way towards the boys who began to run to the other end of the field, but as they did so shots were fired.

Mr Leck said the boys then left the area and contacted the police.

They were asked to meet officers at a local hotel. After speaking to the boys, officers went to Taylor’s home, but there was no-one there.

When they returned at 4.50pm they spoke to the farmer. He denied having any firearms and told them he had lit fireworks to frighten the boys away.

The fiscal-depute said he understood that part of the plea in mitigation involved Taylor’s difficulties caused by youths - although “not particularly these youths” over a period of time, adding: “The Crown don’t take any issue with that.”

Mr Leck also pointed out that the defence’s position was that the boys there that day had been “interfering” with Mr Taylor’s shed.

He added: “The crown have no information to accept that.”

But the accused’s solicitor produced a photograph “of what these boys had been up to that afternoon” showing holes in the back of Taylor’s shed.

He added that while all of the damage had not been caused that day, some of it certainly had.

Sheriff Douglas Brown deferred sentence on Taylor until January 13 for a social enquiry report and continued bail.

The Advertiser asked the farmer this week about his yob troubles.

He said the problems had declined since the incident, and that he did not wish to make any further comment.