A boozy farmer caused a devastating £300,000 fire at a rival’s barn to get revenge for having been kicked out of Thainstone Mart.
Ryan Milne had been ejected from the mart, a popular farming and agricultural auction, for being loud and disorderly.
But the 23-year-old flew into a rage, shouting and swearing about the auctioneer who had ordered his removal, and warned: “Look on Facebook tomorrow. You will see a farm on fire.”
Milne, a farmer himself, then went ahead and torched an outbuilding at Waulkmill Farm, a 405-acre site in Rothienorman where the auctioneer and his family live.
The devastating blaze ripped through the barn, destroying 1,000 straw bales, terrifying cattle and causing more than £300,000 in damage and losses.
Fiscal depute Lucy Simpson told Aberdeen Sheriff Court: “At approximately 7pm on November 26 2019 the auctioneer asked security staff to remove the accused from Thainstone Mart for shouting and causing a nuisance.”
Milne asked security staff who it was that wanted him removed, saying “I bet it was that f***er”, in reference to the auctioneer.
He continued to ask who had wanted him to leave and 15 minutes later tried to re-enter but was not allowed in.
Fire stress left 27 cows unable to birth calves
Milne was heard to say “that c*** will pay for this”.
Other witnesses said Milne appeared “uptight and agitated” and heard him state: “Look on Facebook tomorrow, you will see a farm on fire.”
Around 8.30pm – 90 minutes since the Thainstone incident – the auctioneer’s wife was in the living room at the farm when she heard a vehicle outside and then, 10 minutes later, “loud crackling noises”.
She looked outside to see the outbuilding that housed around 1,000 straw bales and cattle ablaze and called 999.
The auctioneer then returned home and, along with his brother, managed to free the cattle from the shed and isolate the power before fire crews arrived.
A total of 27 firefighters with five appliances arrived to battle the 20-foot-high flames, which engulfed the entire 30-metre building.
The roof of the building collapsed leaving only a six-foot-high breeze block wall.
Ms Simpson said the fire was not fully extinguished until the following morning.
‘This was a spectacularly stupid thing to do’
Police investigators were advised of Milne’s comments and mobile phone checks revealed his device was within 150 metres of the farm at the time of the fire.
He was arrested on June 12 2020.
The total value of damage and loss following the fire was £304,405.69.
That figure includes £213,010 in building demolition and rebuilding costs and £85,595 in lost revenue.
Some of the financial loss came from the fact that 27 cows did not birth their calves as a result of the stress caused by the fire.
These costs were covered by the insurance company.
Milne pled guilty to a charge of wilful fireraising.
Defence agent David Moggach said his client was just 21 at the time of the offence.
He said: “He went to see some of the stock on show. It was also an opportunity to meet up with friends and colleagues.
“They went to the bar and he had too much to drink, so much so that he does accept that he became loud and perhaps boisterous and, as a consequence, was asked to leave.
“At the time, I think it’s fair to say he felt he was being singled out unfairly and he was upset and annoyed.”
‘You’re regarded as not having reached full maturity’
Mr Moggach said Milne had not realised there were any animals inside the barn and had not intended for the fire to grow to the size it did.
Sheriff Philip Mann told Milne, of Forgue, Huntly: “This was a spectacularly stupid thing to do.
“You couldn’t have known, when you set light to this barn, what possible consequences there could have been.
“We’re not only talking about the consequences of the loss of some straw and injury to animals, but this is a farm building, there’s no doubt a possibility it could have spread to the farmhouse itself and that could have endangered lives.”
The sheriff went on: “I have to take note of the guidelines handed down from the sentencing council which specifically reference young people.
“You’re regarded as not having reached full maturity.”
Instead of a custodial sentence, Sheriff Mann ordered Milne to complete 300 hours of unpaid work and be supervised for two years. He also imposed a six-month curfew.
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