Lift-off for space hub in Highlands
Man handed hospital order after bombarding Vine’s co-presenter with sick social media message
PLANS to launch satellites into orbit from Scotland have been approved.
Highland Council has given permission to Space Hub Sutherland to install a launch pad on land owned by Melness Crofters Estate on the A’ Mhoine peninsula, south of Tongue.
The approval means small commercial satellites and launch vehicles designed and manufactured in Scotland could be taking off from the site within the next few years.
Welcoming the decision, innovation minister Ivan McKee said the first of Scotland’s spaceport projects will support about 250 well-paid jobs in the Highlands and Islands.
BY VICTORIA WILLIAMS ASTALKERbombarded Scots TV presenter Storm Huntley with threatening and sexualised messages on social media for more than a year.
Michael Sterling was handed a hospital order this week after pleading guilty to pursuing a course of conduct amounting to stalking.
The 38-year-old, of Darlington, County Durham, made initial contact with Storm, who works on Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine show, via her Twitter account in January last year.
After being blocked, he then began using other social media accounts to send more messages of a disturbing nature, Teesside Crown Court heard.
Sterling, who suffers from significant mental health issues, believed at one point that he and Storm, 33, were close friends.
Chris Atkinson, of Crown Prosecution Service North East, said: “For over a year, Michael Sterling subjected his victim to a torrent of disturbing messages using numerous social media accounts.
“At one stage, he even attempted to secure tickets to be in the studio audience for a show that she was presenting.
“The effect of this behaviour on Ms Huntley was significant.
“Given the nature of his messages, she had to be accompanied by security whenever she left the studio and was forced to turn down work, for fear that Sterling would attend any publicised events.”
Atkinson added: “I would sincerely hope that this sentence provides a measure of comfort to his victim.”