Woman who filmed young girl driving car given community payback order
Sophie-Leigh Gemmell, 32, previously admitted culpable and reckless conduct after letting the girl – aged under 10 – drive the vehicle through Crimond, Aberdeenshire, in bad weather.
The video of the incident, which happened on July 10 last year, was seen on social media.
It showed the child driving in the dark while peering over the steeling wheel as music plays and her mother cheers.
At Peterhead Sheriff Court on Monday, Gemmell was given a 134-hour community payback order – reduced from 200 due to her plea.
Sheriff Alan Sinclair said said her actions were 'reckless in the extreme'.
But he said a custodial sentence would have been 'disproportionate'. The court heard she had no previous criminal record.
He told the mother that she and the girl were 'very fortunate' not to have suffered more serious consequences and added that allowing a child to operate machinery could have caused injury to both the occupants of the car and the wider public.
The sheriff said filming the incident 'defies any reasonable explanation'.
Gemmell's defence agent said the 32-year-old had difficult family circumstances and was the victim of domestic abuse.
He said her behaviour was an attempt at 'levity' during a 'dire' time for the family.
The defence agent said Gemmell admitted her 'behaviour was completely foolish' and a result of 'poor decision-making'.
He said she wished to apologise to the court and showed 'genuine remorse' for her actions and an 'acceptance' that 'the behaviour was wrong and a willingness to accept that'.
He added that a social work report found she was 'of no risk of further offending' and 'does not need supervision'.
The defence said Gemmell 'appreciates and understands this is a serious matter' that 'could have had serious consequences' and that she recognised she deserves to be punished for her actions.
Gemmell must complete her unpaid work within 12 months.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Shopping centre issues statement after video of little girl on escalator goes viral on TikTok
A UK shopping centre has shared a statement after a viral video of a young girl has been widely shared on social media. The footage shows the girl causing 'chaos' at the Arndale shopping centre in Manchester. She is seen climbing on top of an escalator, being escorted by security guards, and allegedly pulling the hair of another shopper whilst inside the Manchester shopping centre. One video of the incident had been seen by more than 55 million people on TikTok within three days. READ MORE: Watch as 'reckless' biker films himself reaching 100mph while performing stunts in frightening footage Another clip on X, formerly Twitter, has received over 13 million views in a little over 12 hours. The clips begin with a young girl in a pink coat and her family arguing with a group of security staff outside a shop, alongside another group of shoppers. It is not clear what is being said but it has been alleged online that the girl and her family were being accused of shoplifting and security can be seen separating the two groups of shoppers away from each other, Manchester Evening News reports. The girl and her family walk away in the video before another young girl throws an unknown item in the direction towards where the security guards and the other group of shoppers are standing. The girl in the pink coat then travels on a downward escalator in front of two members of security. She climbs onto the gap between the two moving staircases and proceeds to climb onto the upwards escalator, which is not in use, and walks up the steps, seemingly to escape the security officers. At the top of the escalator, she is seen in the video approaching a group of shoppers who are watching the commotion unfold. She is then captured on video approaching a female shopper and then proceeding to pull them by the hair. She then heads back down the escalator with a smile on her face. One person commented on the video: 'The pink jacket girl CLIMBING OVER the escalator, going back down it, & then going back up just gag her is frying me like WHO IS THIS DIVA LMFAOOO.' They added: 'this entire situation is so chaotic i'm crying'. Another said: 'That escalator wasn't ready for a diva moment". Whilst some found the clips to be entertaining, others said they were not impressed by her actions. One person said: 'I don't find her behaviour that funny." Another person commented: 'Parents need to start parenting.' But not is all as it seems with the video as it was in fact first posted three years ago by @dreams_dreams24. The same user has recently reposted the videos, which has garnered more attention to the clips with 'pink coat girl' now becoming a viral topic on TikTok. A spokesperson for Manchester Arndale said: 'We're aware of a video that has been recently circulated on social media, which shows an altercation that took place in Manchester Arndale and was attended by members of our Security team. "Following a review of the footage, we can confirm that this is a historic incident that occurred several years ago.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Edinburgh adoption charity fined after 'shredding thousands of personal records'
An Edinburgh based charity has been fined after destroying thousands of personal records. Birthlink shredded almost 5,000 personal records linked to adoptions in Scotland. Among the items was 'irreplaceable' photos and handwritten letters from birthparents, reports the Daily Record. The Information Commissioners' Office (ICO) fined the charity £18,000, saying "deeply personal pieces in the jigsaw of a person's history, some now lost for eternity". READ MORE: Forth bridge shut and Edinburgh motorists warned in ongoing police 'incident' READ MORE: Couple 'absolutely traumatised' after stopping for scenic seaside snap in Scotland Birthlink, which mainly works with people affected by 'historic forced adoption', destroyed the files to free up space in filing cabinets more than four years ago. The charity apologised "unreservedly" after an inspection brought the incident to light and said it could not say exactly how many people had been affected. Interim CEO Abbi Jackson said: "Documents which are deeply personal, things which matter hugely to people's histories and sense of identity, were not handled with the respect and thought that they deserved. That is inexcusable. "We want to assure everyone who's interacted with Birthlink, that we are doing everything in our power to ensure this can never happen again." The company has operated the Adoption Contact Register for Scotland since 1984 and enables people to file their details in the hope of being linked to family members. Birthlink retained "linked records" in filing cabinets in case they were of future use. But in January 2021, the charity reviewed whether it could destroy the files to free up space. .Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. It was agreed that only replaceable records could be disposed of at a board meeting. The contents of 24 filing cabinet drawers were shredded a few months later. Birthlink did not keep a log of what was destroyed but believes that personal data from around 4,800 individuals was shredded, estimating that less than 10% of the files contained "cherished items". Another 8,300 files were retained. The destruction of the records only came to light two years later, after the Care Inspectorate carried out an inspection in September 2023. Birthlink reported itself to the ICO, who said the charity could have prevented the destruction of the files. The regulator imposed a £45,000 fine but this was reduced to £18,000 to promote compliance with data protection and deter others from "making similar mistakes". Sally Anne Poole, the ICO's head of investigations, said: "The destroyed records had the potential to be an unknown memory, an identity, a sense of belonging, answers. "It is inconceivable to think, due to the very nature of its work, that Birthlink had such a poor understanding of both its data protection and records management process." Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox A spokesperson for the Movement for Adoption Apology Scotland campaign said: "These items weren't stored out of administrative duty, but held in the hope that one day, someone would come looking. "That hope has now been shredded, quite literally." Birthlink has now introduced new policies and appointed a data protection officer. The interim CEO added: "We have set up a helpline for anyone concerned about the loss of their personal information. "We also have a range of services in place which may be able to help support people with their individual situation. Birthlink offers a sincere and unreserved apology to anyone affected by what's happened, and we encourage anyone with concerns to contact us." Anyone who is worried about the loss of personal information can contact Birthlink's dedicated support service by email dataprotection@
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Edinburgh crossbow killer who 'horrifically' murdered mum will remain in hospital
A man who killed his mother with a crossbow has been ordered to remain in hospital. Daniel Parker had claimed the "devil" had made him target Margaret Parker, 78, at their home in Fernieside Crescent in Edinburgh on May 21, 2024. The 37 year-old had also fired the weapon at his sister Deborah McGlashan and neighbour Sarah Manifold, reports the Record. READ MORE: Forth bridge shut and Edinburgh motorists warned in ongoing police 'incident' READ MORE: Couple 'absolutely traumatised' after stopping for scenic seaside snap in Scotland Parker had faced charges of murder, attempted murder and a firearms accusation at a hearing in the capital in March this year. However, he was acquitted of all the allegations after prosecutors accepted he was suffering from a mental disorder at the time. The case called again on Tuesday, August 5, at the High Court in Glasgow. Parker appeared in person in the dock. Lady Ross heard evidence from one doctor and considered reports from medical professionals who had dealings with him. The judge today followed the recommendations that she impose compulsion and restriction orders for Parker to remain at the State Hospital at Carstairs without limit of time. The hearing was told he has a delusional disorder which dates back four years. Parker had moved in with his mum in February 2023 and his mental health went on to noticeably deteriorate. Prosecutor Margaret Barron told the court he would not take his medication, believed a gang was "out to get him" and that Margaret had also poisoned his food as well as a belief that cameras were tracking his movements in their home. Parker's sister had gone to the property that morning to help with chores. He then appeared clutching the crossbow stating: "Right, you have to tell me what is going on now." Parker continued to rant before firing the weapon at his sister. She fortunately only suffered a minor cut to her chest. He also shot at his neighbour. Miss Barron said he then turned the crossbow on his mum and she was struck in the torso. The advocate depute went on: "When Deborah McGlashan made her escape she heard another bolt being fired and her mother screaming. "Parker fired multiple crossbow bolts at Margaret Parker while he was alone with her and also stabbed her multiple times." Paramedics initially turned up and could hear Parker's sister shouting: "Help her, she has been shot." Police - including firearms officers - soon also arrived. They forced entry and discovered Parker in an upstairs cupboard. He was arrested, stated he was guilty and added: "I did this because of the devil." Margaret was found lying unresponsive on a bed badly hurt. She could not be resuscitated. The pensioner had suffered a number of crossbow bolt wounds to her neck and torso among other injuries. She was described in court as a "much-loved grandmother" who generally kept in good-health before the tragedy. The court heard Parker told police that he believed his family had betrayed him and that his life was like the Jim Carrey film The Truman Show in which a man's life is revealed to be a fictional TV programme. Psychiatrist Dr Caitlin O'Leary was called to give evidence at the hearing today. She had provided a report based on her dealings with Parker at the State Hospital. The doctor said it would be appropriate for him to be made subject of both compulsion and restriction orders due to ongoing concerns which had also included a history of him previously "accumulating weapons". In making her decision, Lady Ross further imposed a non-harassment order banning Parker from approaching or contacting his sister for an indefinite period. The judge acknowledged the "horrific" nature of what happened will have left relatives badly affected. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community her e and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
