Paint attack on CCTV 'spy'

Fariha Karim - Fariha Karim • Published 29 Feb 2008 16:30

A GREENOCK dad who feared he was being spied on by a CCTV operator decided to take matters into his own hands - by spray painting over the lenses.

James McHugh"s attempts to take on Big Brother landed him in big bother when he ended up in court.

He believed the CCTV concierge at his flat in Kelso Court was directing the cameras towards him whenever he was in the common areas of the building.

The 19-year-old claimed he and his partner, who had a five-year-old child with the operator, had complained to Inverclyde Council about the cameras, but felt his complaints were falling on deaf ears.

As a protest, he grabbed a can of spray paint and covered the lenses of four of the cameras - causing £1,200 worth of damage.

At the sheriff court yesterday, McHugh pleaded guilty to damaging property at Kelso Court on 16 June.

The fiscal depute told the court: 'James McHugh was seen approaching the rear entrance of Kelso court at about 1.30pm, and was seen removing a paint can and spray painting the camera.

'As he entered the foyer area, he approached another two cameras and spray painted two lenses. Then he walked to the left, which has its own camera, and spray painted that camera.'

Defence solicitor Gordon Nicol said: 'The father of the five-year-old child was working in the office of the premises.

'James McHugh felt he was being spied upon. The cameras were moving in the direction he was walking.

'He and his partner made official complaints about the cameras to the local authority, but they appeared to fall on deaf ears.

'This was a protest about the fact nothing was being done. It is not the case that he was doing it out of badness.'

Sheriff Vincent Canavan deferred sentence for two months to get evidence of his complaints to the council, and to check on the status of the CCTV operator.

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This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 29 Feb 08

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