Teenage boy lied about missing girl

Mar 31 2009 by Les Stewart, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

A PERTHSHIRE woman became frantic with worry when her 15-year-old grand-daughter failed to return home.

The vulnerable teenager had left for school as usual at 8.45am and when repeated attempts to contact her on her mobile proved unsuccessful, the woman became “increasingly concerned” for the girl’s well-being.

Other family members and friends tried to make contact, again without success, and the grandmother drove from Blairgowrie to scour the streets of Coupar Angus.

She was “suspicious” the girl had formed a relationship with 17-year-old Liam Findlay, who formerly lived at Smiddyhall, Hallyburton, near Coupar Angus.

At 12.15am, when she still hadn’t turned up, the youngster was reported as a “vulnerable missing person” because of her age and sex at Blairgowrie Police Station.

Officers went to Findlay’s address at 1.25am but he told them he had left the girl in the company of other friends earlier that evening.

But that turned out to be a pack of lies and the girl was eventually discovered in his house at 2.35am.

He and the girl were both taken to police HQ where the teenager was eventually reunited with her grandmother.

The deception led to Findlay, who is now living in Sheila Road, Blairgowrie, appearing in the dock.

He pled guilty to giving police misleading information regarding the whereabouts of the girl at his home on October 3 last year.

He also admitted vandalising a car by smashing its windscreen with a brick, causing £150 of damage, and caving in one of the glass panels at a bus shelter in George Street, Coupar Angus.

The bill on that occasion totalled £200.

Findlay also pled guilty to breaching a curfew at his home.

A solicitor for the accused said that the incidents had taken place at an “unsettled point” in Findlay’s life.

Sheriff Michael Fletcher ordered the accused to take part in a structured 12-week deferred sentence programme.

“If you are of good behaviour, that will be taken into account,” added the Sheriff.

“Background reports indicate that you appear to have gone through a bad patch where a number of offences were committed.

“In order to see whether that’s right – and to deal with the root causes of your behaviour – a structured deferred sentence is the appropriate way to deal with this.”

Findlay will return to court on June 24.