Court / Man appears from custody to deny string of charges

A THIRTY year old man who has denied driving while almost four times over the legal alcohol limit and crashing into two parked vehicles in the centre of Lerwick on Thursday has been granted bail.

Michael Screen, of St Patrick’s Road, Middlesbrough, appeared from custody at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Friday to deny five charges.

He is accused of driving a van while disqualified on the A969 at Commercial Road with 87 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath yesterday.

Screen is also accused of driving without due care and attention and failing to keep his vehicle under proper control before colliding with and damaging two parked and unattended vehicles, causing one of them to collide with a wall which was also damaged.

It is also alleged he drove the van without insurance and that he was found to be in possession of Class B drug cannabis at Lerwick Police Station later on Thursday (30 September).

Defence agent Tommy Allan’s bail application was opposed by the crown, with procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie arguing Screen posed a “significant risk to the public”.

Allan said that his client’s contract of work in Shetland had come to an end and he intended to return to Middlesbrough to seek employment to support his family.

Honorary sheriff Willie Shannon granted bail ahead of a trial on 3 February next year, with an intermediate diet to take place on 8 December.