Court / Assault leads to more time in prison

A MAN from Lerwick has been given another seven months behind bars after admitting assaulting a woman and struggling with police officers just days after he was released from prison early on a home detention curfew.

Trevor Couper, of Hoofields, appeared from custody at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Monday to plead guilty to assaulting the woman at his home address on 4 November.

The 25-year-old admitted repeatedly punching her head and body, repeatedly forcing her to the floor, dragging her outside by her ankles and hair, placing his fingers in her mouth, seizing her by the neck and threatening her with violence, all to her injury.

Couper also pleaded guilty to pushing past three police constables in the execution of their duty at Hoofields on the same date, running away from them and struggling with them.

Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said Couper, who had been drinking, got into an argument with his “on/off partner” at around 7.30pm before becoming physical.

He punched her and dragged her outside his house before going back in to collect some belongings. Couper returned, grabbing her neck and making threats.

Mackenzie said the woman managed to break free and call the police, who arrived on the scene just a few minutes later.

He said Couper tried to run away from the police officers, but was eventually restrained.

The fiscal added that although the woman declined medical assistance at the time, she received injuries to her face, arms and hands.

Defence agent Tommy Allan passed to Sheriff Ian Cruickshank a letter Couper had written since his last court appearance a week prior.

The solicitor said his client had been released from prison on a home detention curfew just a few days earlier after getting himself clean.

But he decided to buy a bottle of vodka after his release – a “bad idea”, Allan said, because his alcohol tolerance was lowered.

The defence agent said his client had little recollection of the incident but took responsibility and was sorry for his actions.

Sheriff Cruickshank said there was “only one way of dealing with this matter” and sentenced Couper to a total of seven months in prison.

As Couper had his home detention curfew revoked, the 25-year-old will return to prison to see out the remainder of his previous sentence before the serving the seven months.