Woman jailed for throwing microwave from 10th floor

Lea Farquharson pleaded guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court

A woman who threw a microwave oven out of a 10th floor flat window in Edinburgh in a "moment of madness" has been jailed for six months.

Lea Farquharson, 42, had argued with her partner before he went out and as he came back into the building she threw the oven in a bid to "scare him".

She admitted culpably and recklessly throwing a microwave oven to the danger of the public on 27 June last year.

The incident happened at Dunsyre House South, Calder Crescent.

Passing sentence at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, Sheriff James Scott said: "I am satisfied no sentence other than a custodial sentence is appropriate given the gravity of the offence and the potential danger to the public.

"Somebody could have come out of the basement of the block of flats and it could have been disastrous."

He looked up and saw Farquharson throwing the microwave out of her lounge window Gerard Drugan Fiscal depute

At an earlier hearing fiscal depute Gerard Drugan said Farquharson and her then partner Allan Addison had been drinking at her flat when an argument broke out.

He said: "Mr Addison left to go to nearby shops leaving Farquharson within.

"As he was walking back towards the entrance to the block of flats he heard someone shout out his name.

"He looked up and saw Farquharson throwing the microwave out of her lounge window."

The court heard the item smashed metres from Mr Addison, who was not injured.

Police were contacted and Farquharson was taken into custody.

Excessive alcohol

During a police interview Farquharson admitted throwing the microwave, saying: "I didn't do it to hurt him, I did it to scare him."

The fiscal added that Farquharson explained her behaviour as a "moment of madness" which was "influenced by drink".

Farquharson and Mr Addison are no longer in a relationship, the court heard.

Defence agent Stephen Knowles asked for his client to be spared jail.

He said she had been assessed as being of a low-risk of re-offending and that the offences stemmed from excessive consumption of alcohol.