Court / Court round-up 13 July 2023

A MAN has been given a 14-month prison sentence for breaching a non-harassment order.

Anthony Jamieson, whose address was given as Grampian Prison, admitted at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Thursday to sending 19 text messages to his ex-partner on 7 May.

The court heard he had two previous convictions for breaching non-harassment orders.

The 58-year-old’s prison sentence was backdated to when he first appeared in custody on 15 May.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said his client had experienced a “relapse” into drinking and sent the texts.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank said: “When a non-harassment order is imposed by the court there is a duty to abide by that order.”

A MAN who previously admitted a number of charges including assaulting three teenage children at a bus stop in Lerwick has been placed under supervision and given a curfew.

Alexander Chalmers, of Gott, also pleaded guilty to throwing a bag of glass bottles at a bus driver.

The incidents happened on 10 December at the Esplanade bus stop at around 5pm.

The 32-year-old’s case had been adjourned for the preparation of a criminal justice social work report.

At Lerwick Sheriff Court on Thursday Chalmers was given two years supervision and a four-month curfew.

He had admitted nine charges in total, which also included struggling violently with police officers and shouting and swearing in hospital.

The court previously heard that Chalmers was “clearly intoxicated” when he approached teenagers at the Esplanade bus stop shouting and swearing.

He admitted seizing hold of a 13-year-old’s face, seizing hold of a 15-year-old’s body and striking another 15-year-old on the face, struggling with him and punching him on the body to his injury.

The court also heard that Chalmers tried to get on buses but was told to get off.

The police were called and he was initially taken to the Gilbert Bain Hospital, where his behaviour “ensued for nearly four hours”.

At court on Thursday defence agent Tommy Allan said his client did not remember much of the incident and said a mix of substances had affected his state of mind.

He said Chalmers was getting the appropriate support, which would be best served under a community payback order.

BRANDISHING a baseball bat and struggling with police officers has landed a Lerwick resident with fines totalling £540.

Lee Hunter, of Sandveien, appeared at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Thursday to admit brandishing the item and challenging to fight anther man at Sandveien on 12 July last year.

The 37-year-old also pleaded guilty to later struggling violently with police officers.

The court heard that the two men had a “chance meeting” in Sandveien, where they both live.

Defence agent Paul Barnett said Hunter initially approached the complainer about rumours he believed the man was spreading about him.

He added that his client was challenged over this – with the baseball bat then retrieved.

The court heard that when the other man said he was going inside his property to get a “weapon”, Hunter “came to his senses” and left.

But the police had been called and traced Hunter to a nearby chemists, with the man struggling violently with officers when being arrested.

He very much regrets all of that with the benefit of hindsight,” Barnett said.

“He absolutely accepts that he did not handle the situation at all well.”

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank fined Hunter £270 for behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, and a further £270 for struggling with the police.

MEANWHILE, at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, a Shetland teenager avoided a prison sentence for repeatedly striking a female constable on her head with a broom handle.

Kai Gair, who was 16 at the time of the attack on the police officer, pleaded guilty to two charges of assault and one of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.

The 18-year old, formerly of Central Park, Shetland but who now lives in Lochgelly, Fife, was put under supervision for two years and will be tagged for nine months.

The court heard how police had been called to the address in Sandwick on 10 June 2021 after receiving complaints about loud music.

The two officers found themselves in a volatile situation and called for back-up. When a third officer tried to arrest Gair’s father, Kai Gair struck the female officer over her head three times.

The 24-year-old officer was rushed to the Gilbert Bain Hospital, in Lerwick, where she received treatment to a Y-shaped laceration to her head which left her with permanent scarring.