Sometimes, despite all of the fact checking, double-checking and re-checking that goes on behind-the-scenes, sometimes you can get things wrong. The devil is in the details as they say. We are all human, and as such, we are prone to mistakes, but some days, those mistakes can be quite a bit larger than you would think, with consequences you might never have imagined nor ever intended.
As the newest member of the Barrhead Leader’s reporting team, I feel like I need to take on a larger number of tasks, to prove, not only to myself but also to my employer that I am worthy of the position that I am in.
Some days are good and some days not so much.
I cover a wide variety of beats including sports, community events, county council and court, the later being the most tricky because I have to rely strictly on note-taking and do not have the option of using a digital recorder.
The task, while not overly difficult, is often riddled with problems due to the nature of courts and peoples’ inclination to ignore the basic rule of no talking while court is in session.
People talk, papers shuffle, and little ones sniffle.
Sometimes it is hard to get the names right, especially when one is forced to write quickly during council depositions, and doubly so when two names appear on the docket that sound remarkably similar, but that does not excuse the injustice that I did to one particular individual, however much I stress it was never my intention.
Landry, Laundrie.
The two names sound similar, but that does not mitigate the consequences of my mistake.
In last week’s court report, I incorrectly identified Kyle Landry in a story under the subhead that read Early bird special in association with a crime that he did not commit, nor did he appear before the court via CCTV as was reported.
The individual who should have been identified in connection with the crime described, is Coty Anthony Laundrie, who did appear before the court via CCTV, and I should have made 100 per cent sure of my facts before the story was published.
I would like to express my sincerest apologies to Kyle Landry and his family, particularly his mother, whose tears I never intended, as well as anyone else closely related to him, for the emotional distress that my incorrect identification caused.
It does not change the fact that the story was published, that his name was run in the paper in connection with a crime that he did not commit, nor does it alleviate any of the pain that was potentially caused, however, I am truly sorry and would like to publicly acknowledge this fact.
Again, Kyle, I sincerely apologize to you and to your family for causing any distress.
