The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Offenders spark outrage by filming themselves playing golf during their community service.
Group of convicted criminals filmed golf game during break and posted images online after unpaid work trip
A group of convicted criminals were filmed playing golf while they were carrying out community service.
The impromptu contest was ‘won’ by Alexander Burns, who posted mobile phone footage on social media – which has since been deleted – under the title “CS Masters”.
The footage has caused outrage among politicians and victims of crime, who say it “makes a mockery” of the system.
Community payback orders are imposed by courts as an alternative to a custodial sentence. Unpaid workers are banned from having mobile phones with them during payback time, and should be supervised by council workers.
Burns was convicted of assault in 2016 and sentenced to 220 hours of unpaid work. The others in the video have not been identified.
A source close to the incident, who has been a victim of crime, said two members of council staff were responsible for the group in Aberfeldy on Sunday, when the footage was taken.
“They are on unpaid community payback, they are meant to be watched at all times during the whole eight hours – because obviously they have committed a crime,” they said.
“Instead of going to jail they have been given community service and the staff have given them a little holiday – a chance to play pitch and putt and post it on Facebook.
“They get a 15 or 20-minute break but that should be supervised. It’s a mockery of the system – it annoys me.”
Douglas Ross MSP, the Conservative justice spokesman, blasted the “soft-touch justice system”.
He said: “CPOs are a form of punishment so to see people playing mini-golf and filming it while they should have been supervised is galling for the victims of the crimes they committed.
“People on CPOs should genuinely pay back the communities that have suffered from their illegal activities rather than spending their time having a jolly.”
Perth and Kinross Council insisted the group was on a lunch break, but admitted they should not have been able to film proceedings.
A spokeswoman said: “At the request of the community a small group of clients in the unpaid work team were repainting the Aberfeldy putting green pavilion on Sunday.
“During a lunch break from the painting they were given permission to play a round on the putting green.
“They were being supervised by a project officer who was also having his lunch. At the end of the match they returned to complete the painting.”
People on CPOs should genuinely pay back the communities that have suffered from their illegal activities rather than spending their time having a jolly. DOUGLAS ROSS MSP
Avideo of convicted offenders enjoying a game of golf in Aberfeldy during a break in their community service work is a slap in the face for the victims of their crimes.
When imposing a community payback order, sheriffs are always at pains to stress the disposal is a direct alternative to a prison sentence.
With cell space in Scotland’s jails at a premium, such disposals are increasingly common in courts.
The authorities place emphasis on ensuring offenders are playing a useful part in society and being offered the chance of rehabilitation outside the confines of prison.
In this instance, the work the offenders were doing was benefitting the community but a rule about not having mobile phones with them had been broken.
The larking about on the putting green may have been sanctioned by the work party supervisor but it flies in the face of community service being seen as a serious punishment and an alternative to custody.
For many people, the images will simply serve to reinforce a perception that this kind of sentence is at the heart of a “soft touch” justice system.
If an alternative to prison is to be the favoured option when sentencing, it must still come with the requisite element of punishment and those supervising the work must be mindful that impressions really do count when it comes to administering justice.