A headmaster’s glowing reference has helped secure a thunderflash-throwing pupil a sheriff’s admonition.
Perth teenager James Orr lit the potentially lethal pyrotechnic during a Scottish Cup tie between Forfar and St Johnstone at Station Park in February last year.
Sheriff Pino Di Emidio imposed a year-long good behaviour order on Orr after telling him the “idiotic” offence could have seriously hurt someone, or blown off the accused’s own hands.
Last June, the court heard the Saints were 4-0 up in the fifth round tie at the Angus ground when Orr, then aged 17, lit the thunderflash among a 1,500-strong away support.
A steward and police saw Orr letting off the item and he was immediately arrested.
He admitted showing utter disregard for the safety of others but a charge of deafening another fan was dropped by the Crown.
At the time of Orr’s original appearance, Sheriff Gregor Murray said he had attended a police demonstration at Dens Park involving smoke bombs and he had been shocked by the noise and confusion they could cause.
“You are lucky to continue to have two hands with which to play tennis and golf,” he told Orr.
The teenager returned to the dock at Forfar in his Perth Academy school uniform where Sheriff Di Emidio heard the 18-year-old had received a conditional offer to Edinburgh University and had not been in any sort of trouble since the offence.
Defence solicitor Brian Bell said: “The social work report is as good as it can get and the references presented to the court are as positive as possible.”
Mr Bell asked the sheriff to consider an absolute discharge for Orr.
“He and his parents accept that, on any view, it was a serious matter.
“It is a matter which is totally out of character and unlikely to be repeated.”
Sheriff Di Emidio said: “This was an extremely foolish offence, to put it mildly.”
He said it was not appropriate to give an absolute discharge but, in the context of Orr’s good behaviour, the social work report and the headmaster’s letter to the court, it was possible to admonish him.