Community payback order for woman who created chlorine gas in her home

A woman who caused a street to be evacuated after creating chlorine gas in her Glasgow home has been handed a community payback order.

Connie Stevenson, 27, mixed bottles of household substances at a property on Lenzie Terrace in Springburn on 31 May.

Nearby residents were forced to leave their homes after the alarm was raised and those who entered the property had to take decontamination showers.

Stevenson pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to culpable and reckless conduct and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.

Sheriff Owen Mullan told the former Glasgow School of Art student: "The situation you found yourself in on this day was really unfortunate and had the potential to harm others.

"I have to think about the protection of the public and other things.

"I am persuaded that the best way to deal with these things is to put you on a community payback order."

Stevenson was placed under supervision for a period of 18 months.

The court previously heard Stevenson contacted the Scottish Ambulance Service on the day of the incident to inform them of the gas.

A team of ambulance, police and fire service personnel attended the property which had a "strong smell of bleach".

Due to the unknown quantity used, the property was initially deemed unsafe to enter.

A cordon was raised and people in neighbouring properties were told to not re-enter their homes.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) used special equipment to detect chlorine gas in the property.

The court heard police officers attempted to speak to Stevenson but she refused to engage.

Prosecutor Lauren Aitchison said the student shouted and swore at the officers.

Officers then spoke to Stevenson on her mobile and she told them that she mixed the household substances before lying in it.

Stevenson was eventually escorted from the property and taken for a decontamination shower by the SFRS.

She was checked over in an ambulance before being taken to hospital.

Three police officers were also given a decontamination shower and had to give back their body armour.

A member of the SFRS entered the property with breathing apparatus to assess the extent of the gas.

Firefighters were then told to evacuate the building due to the substance's reading being "extremely high".

The court heard the property was then ventilated and hosed down.

The carpets were lifted before the property was deemed to be at a safe level for residential use.