It was a ‘stupid act by a drunken individual’
Thug to pay compensation for smashing window
NICOLA FINDLAY
A drunken lout who smashed the front window of a Strathaven hair salon has been ordered to pay the business £100 in compensation.
Shaun Paterson went on to send a grovelling apology to the owners of the salon in a desperate attempt to avoid being nabbed by cops.
We told you last January how the 23-year-old smashed the window of Liberty Hair Company on Waterside Street in “a booze-fuelled haze”.
The next day he sent a private message via the salon’s Facebook page apologising for his disgusting behaviour.
In the message he asked the owners if they “could come to an agreement” rather than “getting the police involved”.
He also says he was a “drunk mess” and “couldn’t even remember it happening” after he became stranded in Strathaven.
The message came after CCTV footage of the vandalism was circulated on a Strathaven Facebook Page.
It read: “Hi I’m sorry that was me in the video by the way... I took my anger out on the window when I shouldn’t have.”
The wife of the salon owner, Patricia Quinn – whose husband Paul had a heart attack just a month before the incident – told the News it was the last thing they needed.
But she believed Paterson seemed genuinely sorry for his actions.
She told us: “I believe this was a stupid act by a drunken individual who knows he did wrong and seemed very apologetic for his actions .
“It was a pointless, mindless thing to do and with Paul having a heart attack it was something we really don’t need on top of everything else.
“But we are just thankful it wasn’t far worse to be honest.
“At least the person who did it came forward and at the end of the day he has landed himself in trouble over a such stupid thing to do.”
Paterson, from Hamilton, admitted punching and breaking the glass on January 27 last year.
Appearing at Hamilton Justice of the Peace Court on Friday, he was given three months to pay the bill.