Court / Lerwick Sheriff Court round-up

A MAN from Lerwick has been given 70 hours of unpaid work to complete after he was found by police carrying an offensive weapon – a chair leg – in a public place.

Christopher Smith, of St Olaf St, admitted carrying out the offence on 31 May on Lerwick’s Commercial Road.

Lerwick Sheriff Court heard on Wednesday that the police were alerted by a concerned member of the public about the aggressive behaviour of two people.

When officers arrived and spoke to Smith, the 43-year-old took out the chair leg from under his jacket.

“He was clearly under the influence of something,” procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said his client could come up with no reason why he was carrying the piece of furniture, which he picked up from a chair laying outside his flat.

He said during the time of the offence Smith’s drug misuse was “out of control”, but since then things are looking better.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank dished out the unpaid work in addition to granting a crown motion for forfeiture of the offensive weapon – “which unfortunately means that Mr Smith has a three-legged chair,” he said.

The sheriff also fined Smith £100 for possessing heroin on Lerwick’s North Road on 2 October 2019.

A MAN from Lerwick has been fined £450 and told to pay compensation after he admitted head butting another person in the town last year to their injury.

John Wright, of Observatory, pleaded guilty at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday to assaulting the teenager on the Clickimin footpath on 21 June 2019.

Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said the victim was left with a “burst lip” which was swollen and bleeding.

The incident stemmed from a dispute over money, the court heard.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said the 24-year old accepted his guilt.

In addition to the fine, Sheriff Ian Cruickshank gave Wright a £75 compensation order.

A MAN who stole two sets of headphones from an electrical shop in Lerwick shortly after leaving the town’s court building has given unpaid work and a compensation order.

Andrew Flaws, 37, of Lerwick’s Hill Grind, carried out the thefts on 29 and 30 July at George Robertson’s while he was on bail.

Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said that the combined value of the two headphones stolen was £198.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank gave Flaws 70 hours of unpaid work to complete and a £198 compensation order.