The Loop

Criminals assigned to do community service cause outrage by filming their own version of the Masters

April 12, 2017

A video of three people playing mini-golf is causing outrage in the UK. Not because these three were playing putt-putt, but because of what they were supposed to be doing instead.

According to The Courier, the footage was shared from the phone of Alexander Burns, a man sentenced to 220 hours of community service after being convicted of assault last year. To help work off that sentence, Burns was to paint the pavilion at the Aberfeldy putting green in Perth, Scotland. His video, however, indicates he was focused more on his putting stroke than his brush strokes.

A spokeswoman for the Perth council staff said Burns and two other unidentified men were on a lunch break from performing their duties, but that they shouldn't have filmed their activities.

The footage has been taken down, but the putting contest was referred to as the "CS Masters," with Burns deeming himself the "CS Golf Champ."

Scottish Parliament Douglas Ross, for one, wasn't amused.

“CPOs (Community payback orders) are a form of punishment so to see people playing mini-golf and filming it while they should have been supervised is galling for the victims of the crimes they committed," Ross said. “People on CPOs should genuinely payback the communities that have suffered from their illegal activities rather than spending their time having a jolly.”