A lout who threw eggs at cars on a busy dual carriageway has been ordered to pay compensation after causing £1,000 worth of damage.
Archie Andrade’s actions were described as “extraordinarily reckless” and could have caused injury or death.
The 22-year-old pelted two cars with eggs as they travelled at speeds of up to 70mph on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR).
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard that both vehicles had children on board.
When police eventually caught up with him they found damning evidence in the back of his car – an empty box of eggs.
Andrade pleaded guilty to acting culpably and recklessly by throwing eggs from a flyover on the AWPR.
Motorist heard ‘massive bang’
Fiscal depute Elizabeth McAllister told the court how the 22-year-old was seen by motorists on a flyover of the A90 near Balmedie at around 9pm on November 17 last year.
She said: “A motorist was travelling on the road with three young children on board when they observed the accused and an unknown male standing above where they were about to pass over.
“They heard a massive bang and thought something had just been thrown from the flyover onto the vehicle.
“Immediately following this they exited the A90 and attended the flyover where they saw the accused and another male within a vehicle.
“They also noted several broken eggs on the surface of the flyover.
“The motorist also noted damage to his car on the spoiler where the eggs hit his vehicle.”
The court also heard that around the same time another man and his 11-year-old daughter were on the road near the flyover when they also heard a loud impact on the front of their car.
Ms McAllister said at first they thought it was a bird strike but the driver later noticed the remnants of an egg on the front of his car and the damage it caused.
The police were contacted and quickly traced Andrade to his parents’ home.
Officers then looked in the 22-year-old’s car and found an empty egg tray lying in the back of the vehicle.
Andrade immediately admitted that he’d been throwing eggs at passing cars on the A90 and was cautioned and charged.
The owners of both vehicles reported damage to their vehicles totalling £500 each.
Sheriff says incident could ‘have resulted in injury or death’
Representing himself, Andrade argued that there were no children in the car that drew alongside him.
He added: “There isn’t really a reason. It was a stupid thing that happened.”
Andrade had also written a letter to the court in which he claimed that “the whole Covid-19 situation had a significant effect on my mental health”.
Sheriff Hodge told the 22-year-old: “When throwing items from a flyover, you don’t know who is in the car below you.
“This could have caused injury or death because the persons driving cars who are hit from above may well swerve and cause an accident.
“It was more than extraordinarily foolish – it was extraordinarily reckless and could have resulted in injury or death.
“However, I can see from your letter you seem to appreciate how serious this is.”
Sheriff Hodge fined Andrade, of Lumsden Way, Balmedie, £400 and ordered him to pay his two victims £250 in compensation.
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