Court / Lerwick Sheriff Court round-up

A MAN from Burra who sent around around 5,000 messages via social media and text to his estranged partner during a three month period earlier this year has been fined a total at £1,400 at Lerwick Sheriff Court.

James Christie, of Bridge End, was also fined for threatening violence to a man by sending numerous text messages between 13 May and 16 June this year.

Christie pleaded guilty to two charges of causing fear and alarm by stalking at an earlier court hearing.

The court heard on Wednesday that the 39-year-old’s offending happened when life collapsed around him and “hit rock bottom”.

Defence solicitor Liam McAllister said the messages were sent when his client was in “complete turmoil”, and added that he was now deeply “ashamed” of his actions.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank told Christie that the number of attempted contacts were unacceptable, and expressed his hope that sentencing him would be the end of the chapter.

A YOUNG Lerwick man who admitted taking photos of a half-naked underaged girl and sharing a similar photo with a friend via social media messaging has been ordered to carry out 140 hours of unpaid work.

Appearing at Lerwick Sheriff Court for sentencing on Wednesday, Shane Odie, of Kantersted Road, was also put under supervision for 15 months.

The first offence took place at an address in town between 1 January 2016 and 31 January 2017, while the second was committed at the Da Wheel Bar in Lerwick on 13 or 14 April of this year.

Defending the 20-year-old, solicitor Liam McAllister said his client’s actions in the pub could be described as “drunken bravado”.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank, however, agreed with procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie’s submission that there had been a “significant sexual element” and put Odie on the sex offenders register for 15 months.

SENTENCE on a young Lerwick man has been deferred for reports after he pleaded guilty to two counts of assault at the town’s sheriff court.

Lewis Fraser, of Nederdale, admitted injuring his victim to his permanent disfigurement by throwing a glass bottle and hitting him on the head at Posers nightclub on 24 March this year.

The 20-year-old also pleaded guilty to a charge of repeatedly punching another man on his head and knocking him to the ground to his injury, also at Posers on the same night.

Fraser will return to court on 20 November when a social justice report and a restriction of liberty assessment will have been prepared.

A THIRTY year old man from Lerwick was fined £400 at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday after admitting assaulting another man at the town’s Royal British Legion.

The court heard that Grant Harris, of Sandveien, butted his victim on the head to his injury on 6 June.