May 2005 Terror of Girl Told to Strip as Gun Was Pointed at Her Head A gun- obsessed youth who held an air pistol to a nine-year-old girl’s head and ordered her to undress avoided a prison term yesterday. In the daytime attack last year, Graeme Linnen pointed the gun at the terrified child and threatened to shoot her unless she removed some of her clothing. Linnen, who targeted the girl as she played with friends in a park, was just 15 years old when he committed the offence. But at Hamilton Sheriff Court, Linnen was spared a prison sentence yesterday after a judge was told the youth’s actions were ‘immature’. Linnen, of Strathaven, Lanarkshire was instead given three years’ probation and ordered to carry out 180 hours’ community service April 2005 A teenage boy threatened a young girl with a gun in a park, a court heard yesterday.  Graeme Linnen, 16, told the nine-year-old he would shoot her if she did not take down her pants. The girl agreed then ran off in terror.  Hamilton Sheriff Court was told the gun fired ball-bearings.  Linnen was caught after he was seen firing the same gun in the direction of two nine-year-old boys and threatening a third boy.  Officers raided Linnen’s home in Strathaven, Lanarkshire, and recovered a pistol from bushes in the garden as well as pellets in packets and in a bottle in his bedroom.  Linnen admitted the three offences involving a firearm and sentence was deferred for reports.  He was allowed to remain free on bail but Sheriff Joyce Powrie placed him on the sex offenders’ register for six months.