A man who frisked ten children at a football park to look for his lost designer sunglasses has been placed under supervision.
Lee Cameron, 30, searched the children aged between 12 and 16 at Glasgow’s Firhill Sports Complex on April 23, 2022.
Cameron claimed that the £500 Louis Vuitton shades were “sentimental” as they had been bought for him by his dead grandfather.
He told a court that he used the outside of his hand to search the children as he knew what he was doing was wrong.
Cameron – who was described as creepy and weird – stated that kids had “colluded” with each other in a “scheme” to get him into trouble.
Cameron was found guilty by a jury at Glasgow Sheriff Court of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.
He was also convicted of assaulting a 16-year-old boy after the jury deleted an allegation of sexual assault.
Sheriff Joan Kerr put Cameron, of the city’s Maryhill, under supervision for 18 months.
He was also tagged for four months keeping him indoors between 8pm and 7am.
The sheriff stated that she imposed the order for Cameron to get help with his anxiety and anger issues.
She added: “While the incident is quite so bizarre, I thought it would be beneficial to get a background report on you.
“Although I can send you to prison today for these matters, I think it is beneficial to society as a whole for you to work on your issues and in a way that’s also punishment for your extreme behaviour displayed.”
The court heard from Cameron who stated in his evidence that he went to the football pitches with two boys who were in his care.
He told jurors that he lost sunglasses while at the park and he “flew off the handle.”
Cameron said: “These were the sunglasses that my granddad had bought me. He died. The glasses were more sentimental – it was not about the money or anything.”
Jurors heard from other witnesses that Cameron was under the influence of alcohol at the time which he denied.
Cameron approached a group of youths who were also at the park and spoke to the eldest who was a 16-year-old boy.
Prosecutor Sean Docherty asked: “You said he did something which made you suspicious?”
Cameron replied: “He had his hands down in his shorts – he said ‘f*** off, I have not got the glasses’.
He added that the other youths were “laughing and joking” about it.
Cameron said: “In retrospect, I shouldn’t have searched anyone – I am sorry for what it has caused, I just flew off the handle.”
Mr Docherty put it to Cameron that made threats such as he would “put them six feet under”, “take someone’s head off”, and referenced a hospital.
Cameron told the court that he used the back of the hand to do his search.
Mr Docherty asked: “Why did you do that?”
Cameron replied: “In retrospect, I thought I maybe shouldn’t search them.”
Mr Docherty said: “Why did you touch him on the leg?”
Cameron responded: “I didn’t really, it was his shorts.”
The fiscal depute later asked Cameron what gave him the right to search the children.
He replied: “I had no right – they gave me consent but.”
Mr Docherty then put it to Cameron that a second 14-year-old boy gave evidence that he asked him to take his top off.
Cameron replied: “I asked him to lift his T-shirt up.”
He also stated that the boy was “mistaken or lying” about being asked to take his top off.
Mr Docherty said: “The boy gave evidence that he saw you touch the other boy on the groin area.”
Cameron stated that this was “false.”
Mr Docherty put it to Cameron that a third 13-year-old boy claimed that he attempted to touch his penis but his hand was batted away.
Cameron replied: “I didn’t search him as he did not give me consent.”
Jurors heard that Cameron also approached a second group of youths.
A boy claimed Cameron asked him to pull his zip down and looked at his bare chest which he refuted.
Cameron claimed that he asked the boy to pull his top up.
He also denied a girl’s claims that he looked down her top and she had a bra on.
Mr Docherty said: “They said they called the police and you put your arm around another girl and kissed her on the cheek.”
Cameron also denied this, claimed that she was lying and that he had “brushed past” her.
Jurors were told that the kids referred to Cameron in their evidence as “weird” and a “creep” which he claimed made him feel “disgusted.”
Cameron later claimed that the kids had “colluded” with each other and made a “scheme” to get him into trouble.
Advocate Patricia Baillie, defending, told the sentencing: “He knows he shouldn’t have acted in the manner in which he did.
“He says he was unable to control his anger in suspecting that the group of children took his belongings.
“Given the nature of the charges, it quite rightly caused distress and worry.”
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