News / Jail for “cocking snook” at court
A YOUNG Shetland man was sent to prison for 20 days after repeatedly breaching court orders over the past year.
Sheriff Philip Mann said he had been left with no choice but to jail 19 year old Brydon Robertson after he “cocked a snook” at the legal system.
At Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday Robertson, of 2 Nordavatn, Lerwick, admitted being in control of an unmuzzled pit bull terrier outside Tesco supermarket and on Oversund Road in the town on 11 August this year.
Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said Robertson was fully aware of the need for a muzzle on the dog as council staff had spoken to him and his father, who was its actual owner.
Defence agent Tommy Allan said his client had taken the muzzle off because he thought he was uncomfortable.
More serious for Robertson was his breach of a nine month community payback order order imposed in March for failing to sign on to the sex offenders register after being convicted of assaulting a police constable by touching her sexually and for a breach of the peace last year.
He also failed to complete a six month tagging order imposed last December for resisting arrest and struggling with police officers.
This year Sheriff Philip Mann had offered Robertson an opportunity to resolve the breaches by going on an outward bound course with the Venture Trust, but he blew his chances when he failed to turn up in court to have it arranged.
Now there were no such courses available, leaving the sheriff no choice but to send him to prison for the breaches.
Allan said the Venture Trust would have been a golden opportunity for Robertson to learn how to act responsibly.
But Sheriff Mann said he had already “bent over backwards” to help the young man.
“You have put me in a position where you have cocked a snook at the court,” he said.
“I stuck my neck on the block to give you an opportunity and you decided not to take it.”
Jailing him for 20 days for breaching his tagging order, he told Robertson to reflect on why he was there.
He deferred sentence for four weeks for the dog offences for a social work report to be prepared, by which time a Venture Trust place might have become available.
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