12 May 2023 , 07:11
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A couple have been forced to flee their home and hide in a safe house after false information from paedophile hunters circulated online.
An angry mob of around 300 vigilantes descended on David McLean's property and livestreamed their ambush after a Facebook post, in which he was wrongly branded a paedophile, resurfaced on social media.
But police reports confirm David, 37, has never been charged with any sexual offence and that he is not on the sex offenders register.
A vicious riot broke out, though, which left David and partner Shona, 35, cowering inside their home.
The mob launched fireworks and bricks at their windows in Dumbarton, Dunbartonshire, and protestors attacked riot police and smashed up patrol cars outside.
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Police officers are pictured at the scene in Dumbarton in February (Daily Record)Shona, who thought she and David would be killed in the violence in February, told the Daily Record: "We were terrified, absolutely terrified. People were outside chanting 'dirty beast' and the crowd just got bigger, bigger and bigger.
"The police tried to get us out at the start, but the crowd gathered so quickly it wasn't safe to move us.
"We spent two hours inside listening to all of that. Fireworks and boulders were being thrown at the house. Cars were being kicked and smashed. I didn't know if we were going to be killed. It was horrific."
Police eventually managed to remove Shona and David from the property after cutting down a fence in the back garden. Riot cops then formed a barricade to protect the pair from missiles launched at them by the crowd as they sprinted to safety.
The couple have since been moved to an undisclosed location. Their former home in Dumbarton is currently boarded up.
Shona said she and her husband live every day petrified they will be found and targeted again.
Fireworks were set off during the incident outside David's home (Daily Record)She continued: "Before this happened we were planning our wedding, but since this started I've been thinking more about planning our funerals."
The couple believe that the false information circulated online after a malicious rumour was started by someone known to David after a fall out.
Shona says the horrific incident could have been avoided if someone from the group had checked the information was accurate.
She added: "If someone had phoned the police and asked if David was on the sex offenders register, they would have known the information was inaccurate. Anyone can write something on Facebook, but that doesn't mean it's true."
Ten people were arrested and charged with mobbing and rioting following the attack on David and Shona's home.
Police Scotland confirmed the incident was caused by inaccurate information circulating online. Area Commander Chief Inspector Ryan McMurdo described the scenes at the riot as "unacceptable".
Police confirmed the fracas was caused by inaccurate information circulating online (Daily Record)He said: “What happened in Graham Road in Dumbarton is totally unacceptable and I understand the fear and alarm it will have caused. Due to the incident, several police vehicles were out of service, directly impacting local policing.
“As a police officer, I will always uphold the rights of those who wish to engage in a peaceful protest. However, when that behaviour descends into criminality, resulting in the scenes we witnessed last night, then I will act and ensure those responsible will face the consequences of their actions.”
The incident has also prompted Dumbarton constituency MSP Jackie Baillie to call on social media giants to take action on those who share malicious information online.
She said: “The safety of residents and police officers is of the utmost importance. When large-scale vigilante incidents like this happen, it diverts police away from emergencies, which should be the last thing anyone wants to happen.
“There is no excuse for false information being circulated online. I am hopeful that the Online Safety Bill which is currently going through the House of Commons will help bring an end to this and give more responsibility to social media firms to take action against those who post malicious information online.”
TikTok and Facebook both declined to comment.
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