A teenager left a 13-year-old girl scarred for life by setting fire to her leggings with a cigarette lighter as a prank.
The girl’s leggings immediately burst into flames because she had been using hand gel to try to clean off dog dirt when Robbie Mill set her ablaze.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told the clothing burst into flames, which grew worse as she wafted her hands at them to try and put out the fire.
Another youngster had to step in and suffocate the flames with his hands and the court was told the girl suffered a severe burn, which left a permanent scar.
Mill, 19, from Dundee, admitted culpably and recklessly setting fire to the girl’s leggings with a lighter in Caird Park, Dundee, on June 17 2020.
He admitted causing severe injury and permanent disfigurement.
Girl still has scar
Fiscal depute Stewart Duncan told the court: “It was early in the evening and the complainer, the accused and two other youngsters were chatting.
“One of them had leaned into dog faeces and that had become transferred the girl’s leggings.
“She made efforts to remove it and her friend used some hand sanitizer.
“That was sprayed onto her leg.
“The accused immediately got up and approached the girl and lit his lighter.
“It immediately burst into flames.
“The girl was shouting ‘get it out’ and wafted her hands at it but the flames got bigger.
“One of the others managed to use their hands to extinguish the flames.
“She was left with a burn on her thigh, which she described as being very painful.
“She initially told her mother it was accidental as she didn’t want to get the accused in trouble.”
Mr Duncan told the court a recent check confirmed that the girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, had been left with a visible scar above her left knee, some three years later.
Sheriff Paul Brown deferred sentence for reports and Mill was granted bail.
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