Wednesday, 24 August 2011

Deadmau5 at this year's T in the Park

A festival-goer has been told that he put in danger during a set of fans waving a flare-up can be jailed by Deadmau5 at T in the Park in this year.

Reaing Festival tickets online

DJ midway through his act when Scott Woodward light they fly away as a result is produced.

The 22-year-old, of Ashgrove, Dumfries, admitted having the flare at the festival in Balado on 10 July.

The sheriff asked him with a crime, "reached the custodial threshold".

The court heard that a large number of people fly away from the surrounding area, which was pumping red smoke, it took three minutes to burn out.

Fiscal depute John Malpass said about the Festival, such actions were a clear warning.

He said, "A message was put on the large screens to say anyone lighting flares would be liable to be prosecuted".

"The organisers even took the step of putting it on their Facebook page to say flares were banned from any part of the venue."

The court was told how members of security became aware of a flare in the crowd and then saw Woodward on another person's shoulders carrying it.

Mr Malpass added: "It was in a heavily congested area of the crowd. He was approximately 50 feet from the stage.

"It caused numerous persons directly in front of the accused to move away."

The court heard the incident had been recorded on CCTV and security staff entered the crowd and managed to trace Woodward.

Solicitor Billy Somerville, defending, said: "It is the type of flare which is used when persons are in distress at sea and can be purchased without any licence.

"He accepts he was there and someone, one of his friends, handed him the flare.

"It was lit for around three minutes - obviously if it was dropped there is a high temperature involved and people could be injured."

'Very frightening'

Sheriff Robert McCreadie said there was a wider issue of crowd control which had "potentially serious consequences".

"That was in the mind of the organisers when they explicitly banned the use of such items," he said.

"A crowd can be very frightening indeed if it moves in an unexpected way.

"It is not simply a stupid man holding up a flare in direct defiance of what he was told.

"It is an offence against public order and has reached the custodial threshold."