Court / Court round up – 21 July 2022

A LERWICK man has been disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined more than £700 after pleading guilty to drink driving as well as threatening or abusive behaviour.

The town’s sheriff court heard on Thursday that after receiving a report of drink driving police traced Sean Barker at his home address in Sundhamar in the early hours of 6 January last year.

The 32-year-old was found to have 95 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of urine. The legal limit is 67 milligrammes.

Defence solicitor Tommy Allan said his client accepts that he had been driving and that he could have made things easier for himself by not shouting and swearing.

It is something he regrets, Allan said, adding that Barker was keen to put the episode behind him.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank fined him £540 for the drink driving and £180 for the charge of threatening behaviour.

Barker can reduce the year long driving ban by three months if he successfully completes a drink drivers’ rehabilitation course.

SENTENCING of an Ollaberry man for careless driving and driving while disqualified has been deferred until next month for reports, including the preparation of a restriction of liberty assessment.

Liam Johnson, of Runnadale, pleaded guilty to a total of four motoring charges when he appeared at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Thursday morning.

The court heard how the 32-year-old had been driving too fast on the single track A970 near the Nortenergy premises at Ollaberry in the morning of 2 May.

Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie described how on oncoming vehicle had to enter the roadside verge to avoid a collision with Johnson’s car.

Sentencing has been adjourned until 17 August. Johnson has been disqualified from driving in the meantime.

A FISH worker from Scalloway found himself in the dock on Thursday after he was unable to pay a fixed penalty on time.

Csaba Hegedus was issued with the £300 penalty and six points on his licence when police found him driving a car without insurance at Lerwick’s Commercial Road on 20 August 2021.

Hegedus, of Blacksness House, was required to show his driving licence but was unable to do so because it had been sent to the DVLA for a change of address. 

By the time his updated driving licence returned, and the 53-year old tried to pay his fine, it was too late as the Crown had already started proceedings against him.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank confirmed the original fixed penalty of £300 and allowed Hegedus to pay the fine in instalments of £100 per month.

MEANWHILE, a young man from Scalloway admitted driving without insurance after he had swapped number plates on his vehicle without telling his insurance company.

The court heard how Leighton Sutherland, 19, of Endavoe, had received the numberplate as a birthday present.

He was stopped by police at Lerwick’s Esplanade on 3 April and was found to be without valid insurance.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank disqualified him for 21 days and fined him £300.

FINALLY, performing a ‘doughnut’ manoeuvre on Lerwick’s Victoria Pier in the early hours of Boxing Day in full view of two police officers has cost a young driver £380 and three points on his licence.

Scott Pottinger, of Gulberwick, pleaded guilty to a charge of careless driving when he appeared at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Thursday.

The court heard that the 18-year apprentice mechanic accepted a fixed penalty but had failed to pay it.

Defence solicitor Gregor Kelly said the incident had been down to “youthful immaturity” and “stupidity” and asked the court for leniency on the number of penalty points imposed on his client’s licence which he described as “essential” for his job.