A vandal put the lives of seafarers in the north-sea at risk after he cut the electricity supply to a lighthouse before filming his destructive rampage on Snapchat.
The life-saving beacon at Macduff harbour stopped working after Jamie-Lee Finnie cut the wires carrying electricity to the lighthouse.
It left any vessels within half-a-mile of the north coast harbour and breakwaters completely devoid of a warning light until an emergency electrician could be called to restore power there.
Fiscal depute Lucy Simpson told Aberdeen Sheriff Court how the 32-year-old battered down the lighthouse door and broke the windows within – while filming the whole escapade on Snapchat.
She said a witness called the harbour master shortly after 5.20pm on April 23 2020 when she noticed four men striking the door to the lighthouse.
“The witness near the harbour saw a group of people near the lighthouse and noted the registration place of the car. Four people were striking the door so she called the harbour master and the night watchman arrived.”
Filmed destruction on phone
However, when the watchman asked Finnie what had happened he lied and said they’d found the door like that.
“When he opened the lighthouse he saw that the windows were smashed, the lights were out and the electricity wires had been cut,” the fiscal added.
Police traced Finne and searched his phone which showed a Snapchat video of the inside of the lighthouse.
“The harbour master confirmed there were no vessels logged as being in the vicinity, but they do not need to give notice to do so,” Miss Simpson added.
“He said the navigation from the beacon would help any vessels that rely on it half a mile from the harbour. Nobody was placed in direct danger, thankfully.”
Finnie caused £2,000 worth of damage and the lighthouse was without power for more than two hours.
His defence agent Leonard Burkinshaw said it was an act of “sheer stupidity” and that Finnie was well aware of damage he could’ve caused to lives.
He told the court his head was in a “bad space” at the time and agreed it was fortunate that an electrician repaired the damage quickly.
“This was sheer stupidity on his part,” Mr Burkinshaw said. “He honestly can’t explain why he did it, he can only say he was in a poor state of mind at the time.”
Lives were put at risk
Sheriff Morag McLaughlin told Finnie: “It’s extremely fortunate that much more significant harm didn’t result from your actions. It’s a very serious charge because of the potential consequences of your actions.”
Just hours earlier Finnie had brandished a 2ft long metal pole at a man in Fraserburgh after an argument over parking in the town’s Gallowhill Terrace.
He admitted a charge of culpably and recklessly forcing entry to and damaging a lighthouse and rendering it inoperable as well as a further charge of threatening and abusive behaviour while brandishing a metal pole.
Finnie, of West Shore Gardens, Fraserburgh, was jailed for nine months.
An earlier version of this story appeared online with an incorrect photograph of the accused. The man in that picture – Mark Burnett – had no involvement in the case and we apologise for the error.
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