Extensive search found man in attic of shared home

An extensive search took place in Kintyre for a missing man when his car was found badly smashed – but he was in the attic of a nearby house.

Sheriff Patrick Hughes was told at Campbeltown Sheriff Court on Tuesday that local farmers were alerted, police tasked to search, police dogs brought in from Glasgow and the Coastguard was mobilised after a car was found ‘substantially damaged’ and off the road near Stewarton on January 6 this year.

Procurator fiscal depute David Glancy said a computer check of the car’s details led officers to a rented house in Machrihanish where the car’s owner was sharing the property with two other men. They were all working as fitters on a project in the area.

One of the men, Lee Thornton, 35, of 24 Bute Crescent, Dunfermline, Fife, pleaded guilty to intending to pervert the course of justice by assisting in concealing his colleague within the attic and stating to police that he was not at the address.

Mr Glancy said officers called at the house and were told the man was not there and the property was searched.

As the length of time grew, police feared he might have been injured and wandered from the crash scene and the ‘multi-agency search’ was launched.

Police again returned to the house at Machrihanish and carried out another, more extensive, search and this time the man was found.

Access to the attic was via a pole used to open a hatch.

‘There was no way he could have closed the hatch behind himself,’ said the fiscal, adding: ‘Thornton apologised when he realised the extent of the search.’

His defence agent, Graeme Wright, said: ‘This was a misjudgement based on misplaced friendship.’

He added that Thornton’s career would be affected by now having a conviction. Sheriff Hughes fined him £300. He said: ‘This was a momentary lapse, bad decision-making and misplaced loyalty.’

The court was told another case will arise from the incident.