A prison sentence handed to a Glenrothes gunman has been welcomed by the town’s leading police officer.
Chief Inspector Derek McEwan branded Oatis Fowler’s behaviour “cowardly”, after the 20-year-old was sentenced to five years in prison at the High Court in Edinburgh this week.
He had attempted to steal handbags from two women on Boblingen Way on Tuesday May 7, shooting at them with an air weapon designed to fire ball bearings.
One of the women, Catherine Bennett, 44, suffered numerous wounds as a result of being struck a number of times, after she refused to hand over her belongings.
Fowler claimed in court that he had been pushed into carrying out the crime because he and his friends owed drug dealers £1,000.
The local area commander for Glenrothes, Chief Inspector Derek McEwan, welcomed the five-year sentence imposed on Fowler and said that the conviction was a sign of the work his officers are doing in the town.
“This was a terrifying ordeal for the two women, whose lives were put at risk by the cowardly behaviour of Oatis Fowler,” he said.
“They genuinely believed they would be killed and there is no doubt that this incident could have ended in tragic circumstances.
“Even now, the two victims are still dealing with the emotional and physical side effects of their ordeal.
“Police Scotland is committed to keeping people safe and in Glenrothes in recent months we have had a great deal of success in targeting those who choose to carry an offensive weapon, using stop and search and other tactics to carry out arrests and remove dangerous weapons from the streets of our town.
“This targeted activity will continue and I would urge local people to play their part in keeping our community safe by reporting anyone who they believe to be carrying an offensive weapon, either by contacting Police Scotland on 101 or by making an anonymous report through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”