A vulnerable pensioner wrongly accused by paedophile hunters was so afraid for his safety that he tried to rob a shop so he would be put in jail.
Vigilantes claimed that James Taylor had been convicted of sexually assaulting a baby and possessing child abuse images. His lawyer told a court the allegations were “entirely unfounded”.
But the 70-year-old endured 18 months of harassment before a “mob baying for blood” turned up at his home. He was forced to leave the town where he had lived virtually all of his life.
Airdrie Sheriff Court heard that before being rehoused Taylor threatened shop staff with a butter knife, saying: ” I don’t want to hurt anyone. I did it so I’ll get jailed. I don’t want to live in Cumbernauld. I don’t feel safe in my home.
“I can’t get help. I’ve asked everyone. I’d feel safer in jail.”
View 3 ImagesThe group has 36,000 Facebook followers(Image: Michael McQuaid)
Taylor admitted assault and attempted robbery at CeX in Cumbernauld, Lanarkshire, on July 29 last year.
Katie Allen, prosecuting, said he was a regular customer at the computer games shop. She told the court: “Two members of staff were working when he entered, took a butter knife from his jacket and pointed it at one of them.
“He said ‘I’m serious. Give me money from the till’. He was asked to leave but refused and the assistants moved behind a glass partition before calling the shopping centre’s security.
“A member of the security team arrived and took the knife from the accused. The police were then contacted.”
Defence lawyer Caroline McGrath said Taylor is “exceptionally vulnerable”, has learning difficulties and has struggled to cope since the death of his wife a number of years ago.
She said “harassment” from the Awareness Protection group had led to his robbery attempt as a cry for help.
Mrs McGrath said: “He became the subject of wholly mistaken allegations by so-called paedophile hunters who acted aggressively towards him for 18 months.
“This culminated in a mob coming to his door. Mr Taylor called me during this episode and I viewed the paedophile hunters’ live feed which was harrowing.
View 3 ImagesAwareness Protection describes itself as “a child protection service dedicated to identifying and exposing individuals who pose a risk to society”.(Image: Michael McQuaid)
“There was a crowd baying for blood and the situation was so bad that police arrived with dogs to control them.
“I had tried to speak with the group previously to advise them that they had the wrong person, but their campaign of harassment progressed nonetheless.
“My client was driven out of the community in which he had lived since he was four years old.”
Awareness Protection describes itself as “a child protection service dedicated to identifying and exposing individuals who pose a risk to society”.
Its Facebook page states: “We protect communities from dangerous offenders and support survivors of the most serious crimes.” The group has 36,000 Facebook followers.
Sheriff Joseph Hughes told Taylor the “powerful mitigation” he’d heard had persuaded him not to impose a jail sentence for the robbery bid.
The sheriff said: “Shop workers are entitled to go about their work without being confronted by someone threatening them with a knife. It’s a serious matter but I don’t believe it’s appropriate to send you to prison.”
Taylor, who was supported in court by an advocacy worker, was placed under social work supervision for two years.
He also faces a 7pm-7am curfew under a six-month electronic tagging order.
Awareness Protection was approached for comment.
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