A man sent bomb threats to Edinburgh Airport’s Twitter account because he was “sick” of planes flying over his house early in the morning.
William Russell suggested the planes should change their flight path or he would burn down the airport building and “every f***ing human in the place”.
The 31-year-old also said he would trace the airport manager and “kidnap” his children.
Details of the messages, sent privately and not visible to the public, were read out when Russell appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
He previously pled guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, likely to cause fear or alarm.
Sheriff Susan Duff told Russell: “This was an unbelievably stupid thing to do.”
Twitter abuse
Prosecutor Brogan Moffat told the court that at around 9am on October 1 2022 an employee working in corporate affairs for Edinburgh Airport became aware of messages sent to its Twitter account.
The fiscal depute said the messages were abusive and contained threats towards property and staff at the airport.
One message received around 7.45 that morning stated: “I hope yous find that bomb.
“I’m sick of planes flying over my f***ing house early in the morning.
“Change your f***ing flight path.
“I am going to shoot your planes every f***ing day.
“Been nine planes in the last 20 (minutes).
“Get a f***ing grip. I am going to plant three bombs on site”.
Ms Moffat said a further message received five minutes later said: “Get up early Monday to Friday, I don’t need your f***ing planes waking me up early at the weekend.
“Stop your f***ing planes coming in so early.
“I promise you, I will burn your building down and every f***ing human in the place.
“Watch how far I can push someone. I will trace where your manager of the airport lives and I will kidnap his kids.”
‘All time low’
The fiscal depute said staff carried out a threat assessment and deemed the messages to be low risk and non-credible but police were contacted.
The court heard when Russell was traced by officers he stated: “I am aware of it, it’s to do with the airport and I sent it from my phone”.
According to court papers, Russell, of Ferguson Way, Livingston, was said to have sent the messages at an address known to the prosecutor within the Dunfermline Sheriff Court jurisdiction and elsewhere in Scotland, unknown to the prosecutor.
It was not made clear in court where he was living at the time of the offence.
Defence lawyer Nathan McBain said Russell consumed alcohol to excess and experimented with “quite serious illicit substances”.
He said Russell’s mental health at the time was at an “all time low” due to adverse childhood experiences and other family circumstances.
Though still smoking cannabis, he is not now using other drugs and abstains from alcohol.
The solicitor said: “He has reacted emotionally and inappropriately”.
‘Unbelievably stupid thing to do’
Sheriff Duff told Russell: “This was an unbelievably stupid thing to do.
“It’s fortunate the airport has people to make risk assessment and classify threats but this could have had a very different outcome.
“I accept the life experience and very significant caring responsibilities you have did impact on your mental health and I do intend to impose a community payback order.”
The sheriff sentenced Russell to 100 hours of unpaid work and placed him on offender supervision for 12 months.
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