Court / Man appears in court on knife charge after missing person search

A MAN who was the subject of a significant missing person search last week which involved the coastguard and police has appeared in court from custody charged with carrying a knife in public without reasonable excuse.

Andrew Moorhouse, of Hoofields, Lerwick, admitted possessing a credit card knife on the public beach to the west of Nesbister Hill in Whiteness on 3 July.

Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie told Lerwick Sheriff Court on Monday that the matter came to attention of the police when Moorhouse was found after a “significant multi-agency search”.

“This is something he does regularly throughout the United Kingdom,” Mackenzie added.

Moorhouse had other camping equipment on him but the knife in question was designed for being concealed in a wallet.

“This particular implement has no utility for camping at all,” Mackenzie said.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said the item had been located at the bottom of his client’s rucksack and had been forgotten about.

“He did not fully appreciate that that particular item was illegal,” he said.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank decided to call for a criminal justice social work report before sentencing and deferred the case until 12 August.

The knife was forfeited and Moorhouse was released on bail.