Man fined £70 for firing air rifle in residential area

Shooting an air rifle at a target for practice in a residential area earned a man a £70 fine at Lerwick Sheriff Court this week.

Linas Aleksandravicius was told he could have been facing a much greater penalty – Sheriff Graeme Napier said he had been thinking of fining him more than 10 times as much when the 26-year-old, of Cheyne Crescent, stood before him on Wednesday.

However Aleksandravicius was also told to forfeit his weapon, and its expensive telescopic site, which together are worth about £400.

Neighbouring residents became concerned when Aleksandravicius started firing at a target mounted on a fence with other properties in the area on 20th September last year.

The court heard the offence took place in an area of “high density” housing.

Procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie said Aleksandravicius and his friends had been drinking, and were shooting tin cans off a three foot high boundary fence.

Neighbours became concerned because there were young children playing in the area, and shots had been fired into neighbouring gardens.

Defence agent Chris Dowle said the accused had denied drinking at the time of the offence.
He added he did not accept he had been firing into other peoples’ gardens either.

He said Aleksandravicius had been using a target and a telescopic site, adding the spread of shots was within five centimetres on the target.

Sheriff Napier said he could have fined Aleksandravicius up to £750. Instead he fined him £100, reduced to £70 because of his early plea.