Australian fined for throwing bottles from Castle

A young Australian, on a working holiday in Scotland, had a “smashing” night out with friends, hurling beer bottles and a folding chair from Edinburgh Castle esplanade onto a street below.

Edinburgh Castle esplanade. Pic: Lisa Ferguson

At the city’s Sheriff Court today 21-year old David Paterson from Melbourne, was fined £300 after pleading guilty to culpably and recklessly throwing the items onto Johnston Terrace in the early hours of February 2 this year “to the danger of the lieges”.

Fiscal Depute, Mark Keane, told Sheriff Kevin Drummond QC that police were called around 2 am by staff at the castle when they saw Paterson, who was with others, throwing glass bottles and a folding chair over the wall of the esplanade towards the street below.

Paterson, whose address was given as Buckstone Drive, Edinburgh, was said to be “considerably under the influence of alcohol”.

Police found shards of glass bottles on the street and the folding chair on the south side of the castle rock.

A defence solicitor told the court that her client “by his own admission had far too much to drink”. A mechanical engineering student, Paterson, she said, had a part-time job and was also acting as a hockey coach.

The agent added: “He knows it was a gross error of judgment. He has no other explanation for his behaviour”.

Sheriff Drummond told Paterson his actions had been “extremely stupid”.

“You have been described as an intelligent young man,” he said. “Drink is what this was all about”.

He allowed Paterson, who was said to be earning £250 a week, to pay the fine at £20 a fortnight.