Moray father-of-two cut the car brakes of an innocent driver he thought was a paedophile

A father-of-two who thought he was cutting the brake hoses and cables of a car belonging to "a paedophile" actually targetted an entirely innocent man.

Callum Stewart, of Speymouth Drive, Mosstodloch, was told at an earlier hearing at Inverness Sheriff Court by Sheriff Gary Aitken that the move was “borderline attempted murder”.

However, when he appeared for sentencing on Christmas Eve, Sheriff Aitken opted against sending the 25-year-old to prison after his guilty plea to culpable and reckless conduct.

He instead sentenced Stewart, who has two children and a third on the way, to the maximum 300 hours of unpaid work.

Stewart's defence lawyer Grant Daglish told Sheriff Aitken that it was "an act fuelled by alcohol and stupidity" but his client was addressing his drinking.

Sheriff Aitken criticised Stewart's actions.

"As you hopefully realise, I can barely believe how ill-advised this was,” he said.

“There was nothing reckless to this at all. You intentionally left your home with tools to cut the brake pipes of someone's car. It was a completely random stranger's car instead.

"There is not much I can do about your stupidity but I can do something about your drinking.

“It is only because you are doing something about it that I am considering something other than a custodial sentence.

"Your actions were beyond reprehensible. This could have had catastrophic consequences."

In addition to unpaid work, Stewart was ordered to pay his victim £450 to compensate him for the insurance excess he had to pay to get the vehicle repaired.

At the previous hearing last month, the court heard the brand new Dacia Duster in Mossmill Park, Mosstodloch, that Stewart damaged on June 18, 2023, belonged to someone entirely innocent.

Fiscal depute Alison Young told the court that the Dacia owner had parked his car at his mother's house before getting a bus to an event, intending to collect it again in a few days time.

She added that Stewart had been drinking with a friend who told him that a paedophile lived in the street.

"He pointed out the address and Stewart went up to the property,” she said.

“CCTV filmed him and his DNA was found on the car.

“When the owner returned to pick up his car, when he switched it on, the alarm sounded that there was a fault with the brakes.

“The car was driveable but if he had taken it out, it would not have been able to stop.

"The owner is not a paedophile. The accused got the wrong house and the wrong car." Mrs Young went on.

When traced by police and arrested, Stewart denied carrying out the crime.