An internet daredevil who scaled the Forth Road Bridge has been ordered to surrender his passport after jetting off to Dubai following his trial instead of completing court-ordered background reports.
Ally Law was previously found guilty of breaching the peace by climbing the 500ft North Tower of the structure in the early hours of July 16 2020.
He had denied an original charge of culpable and reckless conduct.
Law argued he was an able climber with more than a decade of experience and had ascended the bridge in the early hours when no members of the public were there.
Sheriff Charles Macnair said he was persuaded there was no danger to anyone else, but called the stunt a “little short of lunacy” and said it was not acceptable for people to come and climb the Forth bridges.
YouTube clicks
Law’s ascent was filmed to rack up views on YouTube, a platform where he has about 3.5 million subscribers.
The 26-year-old, of Hepworth Close in Southampton, failed to appear in court for sentencing in May.
Representing himself, as he had done during his trial, he appeared on a warrant on Monday at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
Sheriff Macnair told him: “When I adjourned sentence you said you would be living in Southampton, but you went to Dubai”.
Law replied: “I am living in Dubai now”.
The sheriff said: “You told me you are living in Southampton, why did you lie?”
Law said he was “sorting out residency” in Dubai at the time but was in the country (England) and had called the court “multiple times” to “get it sorted”.
Asked when he went to Dubai, Law replied: “A week after”.
The sheriff asked Law if he was prepared to remain in the country and Law replied he has a pregnant girlfriend in Dubai who is due in September.
The sheriff said he would, with “considerable reluctance”, adjourn sentence for another four weeks for more background reports and would release Law on bail.
The sheriff added: “I will make an order that you hand in your passport”.
Law said he had already twice flown back from Dubai to deal with the matter.
The sheriff said: “I made it clear you needed to do a report. You left the country.
“You are very lucky you not being remanded in custody for this”.
The sheriff ordered him to hand his passport in to the nearest police station in Southampton, adding: “That will be within 48 hours of now”.
Sentencing was adjourned until August 7.
As Law left the courtroom, the sheriff told him to remove a hat he was wearing.
Law did so and turned to say: “Have a good day, boys”.
In November last year, two other men from Northumberland in Law’s party admitted culpably and recklessly climbing and descending the Forth Road Bridge tower.
Both 35-year-old Stephen Sinclair from Ashington and 36-year-old Christopher Allsopp from Cramlington, were fined £1,600 each plus £75 victim surcharges.
History of illegal stunts
Law hit the headlines in 2018 when he and another broke into the Celebrity Big Brother House, and he is banned from all UK theme parks after breaking into Thorpe Park to scale rollercoasters at night.
Two years ago, Law posted a video outlining his entire criminal history.
In recent years the YouTuber Law has been involved in various dangerous and brazen stunts.
He paddle boarded across a famous Welsh aqueduct, snuck in and spent a night in the National Theatre and allegedly managed to get a Premier League match involving his local side suspended by flying a drone over St Mary’s Stadium.
He has also been reprimanded in the dock for scaling the Severn Bridge and the Tyne Bridge.
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