Gun club reject set fire to the building
Members shunned accused
A man set fire to one of Scotland’s most historic gun clubs after being banned from the organisation because of“concerns”about his interest in firearms, a court heard.
Cameron Mills lit rubbish in a bin and pushed it against the door of the Callander Target Sports Club on Christmas Day – then hid in woods and watched as the flames licked the building.
Mills, 24, later told police he wanted to “cause economic damage” and shut down the 111-year-old club, which is used five days a week by members and is also rented out to other groups, including Scotland’s Commonwealth shooting team as well as Police Scotland.
Prosecutor Lindsey Brooks told Stirling Sheriff Court on Wednesday (October 28): “The location is a sports and rifle club.
“There are firearms on the premises, locked in cabinets.
“There’s a background here, in that the accused had previously approached members of the club with a view to becoming a member.
“There was some concern about the accused’s interest in guns, and his membership was refused.”
The court heard the premises were shut for Christmas at midday on December 23, 2019.
Firemen were called out to the club just before 6pm on Christmas Day and found the club’s large wheelie bin was on fire and had been placed against the front door.
Parts of the building were alight, and the fire service quickly found the blaze was deliberate.
CCTV showed Mills (right) placing the wheelie bin against the door, emptying some of the rubbish on to the ground and setting it alight. Mrs
Brooks said that according to the fire service, the plastic bin would have burned “at a powerful rate”.
Wooden fascias and soffits above the door were damaged by the flames, though the door itself remained secure, and the premises suffered internal smoke damage.
Mills, said to be “known to firemen in the local area”, was arrested at his home on January 3.
H e was interviewed and confessed he had lit the bin with a gas lighter before going into nearby woods to watch.
When he was asked why he’d done it, he said: “To cause economic damage so it would be shut down.”
He was asked why he wanted the club shut down and said: “I think the club members have right-wing racist views and they support the Olympics being held in Tokyo.”
Mrs Brooks said: “He then made comments about the Japanese government not paying compensation to prisoners of war, the treatment of people during the war, the fact they still do whaling, and the treatment of dolphins.”
Mills, of Glengyle Place, Callander, a first offender, pleaded guilty to wilful fireraising at the club, in the town’s Camp Place.
Solicitor Mark Fallon, defending, said Mills regretted his actions.
He said: “It was Christmas Day and he knew the premises would be unoccupied so there’d be very little risk of hurting anybody.”
The court heard Mills had been preliminarily assessed as being on the autistic spectrum.
Sheriff Wyllie Robertson deferred sentence until April next year for reports and for Mills to be of good behaviour.
He warned him: “What happens to you on the next occasion depends very much on the reports that I have between now and then.”
Leaving court, Mills did not respond to a reporter’s request for a comment.
The Callander Target Sports Club was founded in 1909 after Field Marshal Lord Roberts, who commanded British Forces in South
Africa, complained that the Boers were better shots than soldiers of the British Army.
It has around 60 members, two multi-function ranges, and can cater for pistol and rifle shooting plus air weapons.
Club secretary, Robert Farquhar, said: “The fire caused massive problems to the club especially at Christmas time.
“Thankfully our CCTV system paid dividends as we were able to identify the culprit, who we had previously refused membership to the club as we deemed unsuitable.”