News / Wednesday’s court round up
A MAN from Bigton has been told not to harass or take photos of his neighbours after being sentenced for a number of charges.
Martyn Fisher, of 4 Hayhoull Place, was previously found guilty of a string of offences committed between 10 September last year and 14 March, including verbally abusing a retired woman in Lerwick’s Viking Bus Station.
The 59 year old was also deemed to have behaved aggressively towards his neighbours in Bigton as well as failing to give information to the police, with Fisher also found guilty of driving while unfit through drink.
At Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday, he represented himself as Sheriff Philip Mann passed down his sentence.
Fisher suggested that his neighbours had a “campaign to get him evicted” from his home, with the man claiming they were taking videos of him.
However, Mann told the 59 year old he should contact the police – or get a transfer away from the area – if he felt victimised.
The sheriff gave Fisher two non-harassment orders lasting two years – one relating to two of his neighbours, and one relating to the woman Fisher abused in the Viking Bus Station – and placed him under supervision for one year.
Fisher was also disqualified from driving for 18 months and fined a total of £400.
Meanwhile, a 42 year old woman who previously admitted assaulting and obstructing nursing staff and paramedics as well as shouting and swearing at police has been placed under supervision for 12 months.
Julie Walterson, of 42 Goodlad Crescent, behaved in a threatening manner on 26 March, with much of the abuse taking place at the Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick.
Lerwick Sheriff Court previously heard that Walterson had called NHS 24 while drunk saying she was suicidal.
Her behaviour rapidly deteriorated when ambulance staff and police arrived as she became “patronising, threatening and outright vicious” – and this continued into the hospital.
At Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday, defence agent Tommy Allan said that Walterson “understands this behaviour in hospital is completely unacceptable”.
Sheriff Philip Mann said that Walterson’s behaviour was “truly frightening for other people”, but he was prepared to give her a community payback order and placed her under supervision for 12 months.
A twenty one year old man was also given one year’s supervision at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday for possessing heroin in the town.
Shaun Smith, of 11 Hill Grind, was found with a quantity of the Class A drug at Back Charlotte Street on 10 May.
He also admitted breaching a previously set community payback order by failing to complete unpaid work.
Sheriff Philip Mann said he would he give Smith “one last chance” by continuing the order and giving him another year of supervision.
Meanwhile, a 32 year old man from Sandwick was fined for a “very unpleasant” incident of domestic violence.
John Hart of Park Wynd, previously admitted becoming aggressive to his partner on the night of 24 May while drunk and punching walls and a glass door in his home.
Sentence had been deferred for good behaviour and defence agent Tommy Allan told court on Wednesday that his client had not had a drink since the night of the offence and was back with his partner.
Sheriff Philip Mann fined Hart a total of £400.
An Unst woman whose young dog escaped from her house before killing a number of sheep and lambs was fined £200.
Paula Goddard, of Fairview, Haroldswick, admitted letting her border collie go out of control on agricultural land in the area on 10 May.
Defence agent Tommy Allan told court that the 61 year old adopted the puppy after it was given away for having “no interest in sheep”.
The dog managed to escape the confines of Goddard’s house and subsequently chased, caught, injured and killed a number of sheep.
Allan added that the former owner took the dog back – and the collie is now working in a somewhat surprising field.
“The dog has now developed an interest in sheep and is now trained as a sheepdog,” he said.
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