Court / Prison sentence for Lerwick woman who threatened social workers

A FORTY year old woman from Lerwick has been sent to prison for nine months after pleading guilty to three charges of making threats and behaving aggressively towards social workers and council staff on three occasions last year.

Paula Flaherty appeared from custody via a video link at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Thursday morning.

Flaherty attended the council’s children services department at Hayfield House on three occasions on 23 and 26 September as well as on 3 October, demanding to speak to a senior social worker – and when that was refused she made threats towards reception staff.

The third offence was committed while on bail, after she had been arrested a week earlier and released on bail with conditions attached.

Defence solicitor Gregor Kelly said her client now realises that her persistent behaviour had been received as threatening and uncalled for.

He said Flaherty was feeling desperate as she was about to lose custody of her young son.

Kelly continued by saying that his client thought that by her persistence she would show how much she cared for him, whereas she only demonstrated how unsuitable she was to care for her son.

He added that Flaherty “clearly had other battles to fight” and said she was receiving help with her addiction while in custody.

Sentencing to a nine month prison sentence, sheriff Ian Cruickshank said no-one working in public service should be at the receiving end of such behaviour, adding that through his legal work he had a firm understanding of the sense of loss and hopelessness parents can experience when children are taken into care.