A drunken prank that triggered a major emergency response at a busy marina has landed a Dunoon man with community service and supervision instead of a prison sentence.
Christopher Denovan, 42, appeared at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court after throwing a fake bomb onto a Marine Scotland vessel at Largs Yacht Haven in what his solicitor described as a practical joke in extremely poor taste.
The incident, which took place on September 11, 2022, prompted the evacuation of boats and buildings around the marina as emergency services including police, Coastguard, and Royal Navy bomb disposal experts rushed to the scene fearing a genuine explosive threat.
The court heard that Denovan, intoxicated at the time, had attempted to book a berth for the night but was asked to leave due to his behaviour. After leaving, he phoned the marina pretending to be from Marine Scotland and requested the removal of one of their boats.
Staff quickly realised the call was bogus and became alarmed when Denovan returned by boat and hurled a suspicious device onto the same Marine Scotland RIB. Believing it to be an improvised explosive device (IED), they contacted police, sparking a full-scale response.
A 100-metre safety cordon was established and surrounding areas were evacuated while bomb disposal teams investigated. The device was ultimately found to be a hoax.
Denovan, who had filmed the stunt while wearing a wig posted the video to social media and was later identified through CCTV and arrested that evening.
In court, he admitted placing an item intending to make others believe it could explode and cause injury or damage. His defence solicitor said Denovan was utterly ashamed of his actions and accepted the gravity of the situation.
Sentencing, Sheriff Nicola Patrick said: Foolish doesnt even begin to cover this. The consequences of your actions have been staggering and would have been alarming to a great number of people.
There is no question that the custody threshold has been met, but you appear to be genuinely remorseful.
Denovan was sentenced to 300 hours of unpaid work and placed under supervision for 18 months.
