Court / Two men fined for having people around during lockdown

TWO men have been fined for allowing people to attend their house during lockdown.

Narrinder Hundal, 52, of St Magnus Street, Lerwick, was fined £100 after he admitted culpably and recklessly allowing a number of people into his home on 9 June.

John Neil, of Lerwick’s Mounthooly Street, was also fined £100 after being charged with the same offence.

In his case this happened at the 40-year-old’s address on 5 and 6 June.

By doing so the men were in contravention of restrictions of movement then in force from coronavirus legislation.

Their charges stated that they were thereby increasing the risk of incidence and spread of coronavirus and endangering lives.

In relation to Hundal’s case, procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie told Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday that police had attended his property prior to the offence to warn him “but he refused to change his behaviour”.

“He knew fine well how ill-advised his conduct was,” Mackenzie said.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said that lockdown had been tough for some people, with some vulnerable folk seeking company.

“For some people lockdown has been beneficial…but that’s not the case for everybody,” he said.

He said in this instance the people came along uninvited, with the police initially arriving to deal with another matter.

Speaking about Neil’s case, Allan said to some extent his client had been “powerless” to object entry the people’s entry into his home.

Allan said one person was “really struggling” at the time and Neil did not feel it was appropriate to let them leave.