what is wrong with the courts these days. How can shooting a pregnant woman be seen as "foolish". As for his "hadn't intended to hit the woman" excuse, why should that be believed. He should have been charged with attempted murder, twice.

Another ridiculously lenient sentence.
Vigilante rule nears.

Anyone who can believe that this was a "foolish" attack isn't fit to be a Sheriff. Campbell was well aware of what he was doing. Some people are just evil. Community service is a joke as some of the offenders fail to turn up and many go on to commit further crimes.

So what he has no previous convictions. He should have received a jail sentence, the consequences of his actions should have made sure of that.

Unbelievable! Just goes to show the justice system needs an overhaul. He should have got a jail sentence. Beisde only 240 hours???

Time for the Proc Fiscal's Office to appeal this disgrace.

He was just hitting random targets,What the hell is that,He should have been jailed,A random womans hand,Anything to do with the fact she works with the L.A.B. Police.

I wonder what the reaction would have been had the gender roles been reversed?
Justy.

Shoot folk with an airgun and you'll get a slapped wrist. Steal a few grand with old bank cards (like those two lasses did this week) and you're off to jail.

It's clear that protecting the bank's money is far more important to judges than our citizen's lives

It appears, once again, that the Scottish Justice system, from top to bottom, is not a supporter of 'Crimestoppers!'

Now the criminals have to build up a record of convictions before they can be sent to jail - poor devils, will they never get a rest until they reach the doors of what seems to be coming a 'peaceful haven' for the criminal fraternity!

What was all this baloney we heard in the past from the seemingly 'slap happy' Justice Minister about coming down tough as old boots on Knife and Gun crime - wonder what her next joke will be?

Has anyone yet been seen to 'Go to Jail' for carrying either of these weapons, or as it seems, have they all been given the glorious opportunity roaming amongst the communities to improve their handling of such weapons!

How on earth can criminals be deterred from commiting crime if they are 'punished' as leniently as this.

I cannot count how many serious crimes this idiot perpetrated...it beggars belief he should get off this lightly.
Anyone think that more legislation is going to stop someone with such a callous disregard for life and property when the punishments are so light if you are the 1 in 100 successfully prosecuted?

Anyone think that twits like this might be deterred if they believed they might get shot by armed police instead of a paper sentence?

Before someone posts about banning air weapons, Just ask why the law is not being used to punish these pople before ranting about a ban.IF the law was used properly clowns would soon get the meassage, and the use of air weapons would be confined to those that treat them with respect.

240 hours community service....Oh boy, the law surely is an ass. The fact that he was discharging a firearm from a room window should be enough to send him down.

If this ned had access to a real fire arn he would have used it...............the little pr*ck should have been jailed.

Unbelievable. As a responsible airgun user under persecution for enjoying my chosen sport I despair of the lack of use of the Law when something like this happens. What on earth are the Courts thinking of. This was a perfect opportunity to give the maximum jail sentence of five years for a crime that duly deserves it.

On the plus side for the accused, he didn't shoot at the sacred buses, just cars. That has to show that he is politically correct.

Justice system in spain is a disaster but I don't think it would happen here!!!

Those clerical assistant colleagues must have some job. Typing and solving crimes! ;-)

Not surprised - this country has the most inconsistent justice system going! As an ex-community nurse, I had a patient pull an airgun and fire it when I was isolated with him in his house - this week he was found found not guilty of breach of the peace! Something to do with the public not being at risk! So much for protection of health workers!

You people are AMAZING. All of you crying about how this awful guy should go to jail. So he was behaving like an idiot... that doesn't change the fact that the victim only got a "painful mark" on her finger. And I'm guessing that if there was so much as a drop of blood, that would have been reported. THE GUY WILL HAVE 6 FULL-TIME WEEKS (American workweeks anyway) OF FORCED LABOR. If some guy shot me in the finger with a pellet gun, and it didn't even break the skin, I would think that was a very harsh punishment.

I suppose you have to dish out harsh punishments in a country that make self-defense illegal...

One more thing: Who gave this woman permission to drive? I wonder if her baby's daddy even knew she was out of the kitchen.

Well sv650touring - going by your country's gun laws, maybe this is nothing, but do a search on the issue of air guns in the UK, and you will find the facts about people who have been killed during the past few years! Young children included. And where is self defence illegal?

My country's gun laws? You mean the ones that put you behind bars if you use a gun in a crime? Or the ones that say I can carry a gun, as long as I'm not a criminal? Or the ones that say I can kill someone with a gun if they are posing me or someone else a grave threat (called self-defense here, but it is murder in the UK)?

As for all of your airgun deaths, I can imagine the number is probably staggering. After all, we average nearly 4 a year in the US. Which means there is OVER a 1 in 100 million chance of being killed by one each year. How do we sleep at night?

I'm sorry you had to get shot at by an airgun. As someone who has been shot by them during battles with the kids in the neighborhood, I know how annoying it can be. Just be glad the criminal who did it didn't want to harm you or else he would have probably hit you with the gun itself, or maybe even his bare hands.

Well sv650touring, I have a lot of trouble with the concept that some pinhead mouthbreather can gaze from his bedroom window and even entertain the idea that there are worthy targets in any residential street.

Doesn't matter if the locale is GB, the USA or Canada, this individual's education was clearly missing some important information - information I got from my Dad at a very early age.

Guns belong in the great outdoors with meticulous attention to one's surroundings - especially to other living things within range.

This cretin needs jail time. And he needs to be denied any more weapons for the rest of his life.

As far as I am concerned 4 is 4 too many! You may think that 4 is neither here nor there.....but it's still 4 too many!

I blame Itchy and Scratchy

The sheriff sounds like a to55er! If I randomly stab someone would I get away with it because I've got no previous convictions?

This article adds more weight to calls for a ban on air guns! I know I'll get the usual suspects, usual retorts, "many people use air guns properly", "people are attacked with hammers, etc, why don't we ban them too", ... However I think it is clear that more idiots own these things than sane, sensible people. So lets get rid of them!

This has nothing to do with any airgun debate. I don't think this ,for once, fits in with the usual outcry about hooligan behaviour.
As a kid I ( and others ) used to fire airguns all over the place. It was usually a Christmas present to replace the deadly catapult. Woe betide us if we hit the neighbour's washing, but as far as bodily harm was concerned you could do much more harm throwing a brick.
The punishment should fit the crime. Simple as that folks. The victim suffered "a painful MARK on her finger." Good grief.
Not exactly Al Capone is he ?

Hey Kathryn - I've got a clean record and no previous conviction so can I go and shot someone I don't like. What would the tariff be for me? A bit of gardening, cleaning?

Ah hope his community service is dirty and smelly

I've been hit with a pellet gun, its no big thing. You would have to have a seriously powerful pellet gun to even draw blood, or be aiming for an eye. What most of you are suggesting is asinine, jail-time for a mark on the finger.
I don't know if sv650tourings statistics are correct, but I, personally have never heard of a pellet gun related death, or a pellet gun related injury of any kind. OH, WAIT!!! What was that movie, with that kid, and he wanted a pellet gun for christmas, and everyone was all like "you'll shoot your eye out!" and he was all like "no way" and when he finally got one he shot himself in the eye? That was a good movie.
Also, if the "victim" had been a man and not a pregnant woman, this wouldn't have been news.

Dear Capitanhero,

On the 2nd March 2005 Andrew Morton was shot with an airgun and killed by Mark Bonini. Mr. Bonini was convicted of murder and sentenced to life with a minimum tariff of 13 years. He feels that he has been hard done by as he was only shooting at firemen and passers by.

You have now heard of an airgun related death.

Blame the gun and not the idiot behind it; now jail is too much for a minor injury, but he should be punished in some way. No wonder why British is overrun by criminals and thugs, since you have to wait for the police to save your sorry butt.

Sorry touring I disagree with your sentiments. For this idiot to fire his airgun out of a window into a populated street shows a woefull lack of comon sense. This is exactly the type of crime, which if left alone, or indeed delt with as shown, set a president that it is fine and no great shakes to commit. this fool should have been fined and jailed for this attack. he is a moron who deserves a short sharp shock.