Court / Court round up – 19 April 2023

A LERWICK man has been put on a curfew for three months after pleading guilty to assaulting another man in the town’s Thule bar in September last year.

Concerns were raised in court over John Wright’s “deeply concerning conduct”.

Wright, of the Observatory, admitted spitting at his victim and punching him on his head to his injury on 29 September.

Defence solicitor Gregor Kelly said that given previous convictions his 27-year-old client was well aware that he was close to a custodial sentence.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank imposed a restriction of liberty order and told Wright to stay at his home address between the hours of 7pm and 7am for the next three months.

SENTENCE on a man who violently assaulted his partner in the Lerwick youth hostel has been adjourned until next month for reports.

The court heard how Jason Bourne and his partner stayed in the Islesburgh House Hostel for several nights while seeking work in Shetland.

Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said that on the night of 8 November, the couple had gone out for a meal followed by drinks.

After returning, Bourne offended his partner by making comments about another woman he desired to have a one night stand with, the court heard.

An argument developed, leading to the 36-year-old assaulting his partner by seizing hold of her throat and compressing it, restraining her on the floor and repeated striking her head on the floor and repeatedly striking her head, all to her injury.

Bourne, of Strathmore Place, Montrose, was arrested and appeared in court the following day. He was released on bail with the condition not to approach the complainer.

On 6 December he was seen in the company of the complainer at the Lidl supermarket in Montrose and was arrested. He has been in custody ever since.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank asked for restriction of liberty as well as criminal justice social report and adjourned the case until 17 May.

A MAN from Lerwick who admitted throwing a shoe at a police officer and then hindering two constables in the execution of their duties by violently struggling with them has been ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work.

The sentence, which also includes a 12-month supervision period, was handed down as an alternative to a prison term.

James Gray had previously pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers at his home address at Grostane on 17 September, and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at the Gilbert Bain Hospital on 18 December.

At Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday the 56-year-old was also ordered to pay £400 to the relatively new Scottish restitution fund.

Since February 2021, Scottish courts can make orders for those convicted of assaults on police to make payments to the restitution fund, which will then be used to support services for victims of police assault.

A LOCAL man who inappropriately approached three females, including two 15-year-old girls, in Lerwick town centre shortly before midnight on 23 December, has been fined £420.

Alan Page, of Russell Crescent, however narrowly escaped being put on the sex offenders register for five years.

The 40-year-old previously pleaded guilty to a charge of directing a sexually suggestive gesture at the three females and thereafter positing himself in close proximity to one of the 15-year-olds and deliberately moving his groin area in a sexually explicit way.

Sentence had been deferred until Wednesday for a criminal justice social work report to be prepared, and also to allow time to reflect on whether sex offenders’ notification was required in this case.

Following a lengthy deliberation by sheriff Ian Cruickshank in which he cited several examples of case law, and by using common sense and applying “a sense of proportion”, he concluded that the sexual aspect of Page’s behaviour was “substantial” and “highly inappropriate” but did not amount to be “significant”, and therefore Page would “not be going to be subject of notification”.