Court / Woman fined for allowing consumption of alcohol at Christmas Eve ‘lock-in’

ALLOWING alcohol to be drunk in a Christmas Eve “lock-in” at a Lerwick restaurant/bar a couple of years ago has cost one of its employees £245.

Shanna Chapman, of the town’s Gilbertson Road, appeared at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Thursday to plead guilty to allowing the consumption of alcohol outwith licensed hours at Fjara on 24 December 2021.

Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said the 23-year-old, who had the keys to the premises, had been out with friends and allowed them in.

Defence agent Gregor Kelly said the incident was down to “immaturity” at the time and added that his client retained her job – although it had been on a “shoogly peg”.

He also noted that the offence happened a number of years ago.

The court heard that the venue was due to be used for a private function anyway on Christmas Day for the family of an owner, and Chapman had suggested to him about her inviting a “select number” of people whilst it was shut on Christmas Eve.

Kelly said that number ultimately came to around 15 people.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank fined Chapman £225 and imposed a £20 victim surcharge.

The 23-year-old also faced trial at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Thursday on another matter, but Sheriff Cruickshank ruled there was no case to answer.

She was accused of driving nearly three times the limit for cocaine and 16 times the benzoylecgonine limit on the A970 on 25 December 2021, but had denied the charges.

Following discussion around what evidence there was of Chapman driving the car at the time, the sheriff accepted the defence’s submission for no case to answer and acquitted her of the charges.

One element of this was that a witness was not asked to identify Chapman whilst in the courtroom.