Hogmanay party drama

Teenager danced about with smoke flare

POLICE were concerned after a cloud of smoke suddenly filled the air at a north Hogmanay street party.

They traced it to a smoke flare and dealt with it, Wick Sheriff Court heard yesterday.

Inquiries led them to Scott Ross, 19, who had been seen "dancing about with the smoking device in his hand."

The incident occurred, as hundred of revellers were waiting to welcome 2016, in Thurso town centre.

Fiscal Fraser Matheson said that, at first officers, were unable to ascertain the source of the smoke, but eventually located the smoke flare and threw it clear of the crowd.

Witnesses also spoke to Ross waving the flare as he jumped up and down as it discharged the smoke. The device had not been thrown into the crowd at any point..

Ross. of Achreregan, Broubster, near Thurso admitted a charge of breach of the peace by using the smoke flare in a public place.

Solicitor Fiona MacDonald stressed that the flare had been taken to the party by someone else but continued: "He waved it about, then realised that was stupid and stopped doing it. But members of the public were concerned."

Sheriff Andrew Berry, who was told that Ross was in the process of emigrating to start a new life in New Zealand but his application had been put on hold pending the out come of the case.

The sheriff told the first offender: "It has been made clear that you didn't take this flare to the party but you jumped about disturbing other people and there is nothing more frustrating for them having their enjoyment affected, by someone behaving like this."

The sheriff said that he was not going to stand in the way of Ross's potential future in New Zealand and gave him an absolute discharge but warned him that the conviction might affect his job applications. in the future.