Court / Court round-up 19 February
A TWENTY six year old man who resisted arrest and repeatedly spat and kicked the inside of a police van has been warned he could be jailed next month.
Thomas Drever also has 61 hours of unpaid work still to carry out from a previous offence, which court heard he had made little progress in achieving.
Drever – from Sandveien in Lerwick – was ordered by the sheriff to “double up, triple up or quadruple up” his efforts to do that work or he could be jailed.
But Sheriff Ian Cruickshank said that may still not be enough for Drever to avoid a prison sentence, after he admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner on Lerwick’s Kantersted Road on 27 October 2024.
It was Drever’s second offence in short succession involving police officers, and the sheriff looked dimly on the offending – despite not hearing a narrative at court on Wednesday.
“I’m very concerned about this new matter,” he told Drever.
Drever shouted and threatened police, braced his legs against the rear of a police van to resist being placed inside and then did the same inside the van to stop officers from taking him into the police station.
His behaviour was aggravated by prejudice related to disability, the court heard.
As well as having an ongoing community payback review, Drever also has an existing compensation order.
Sheriff Cruickshank said it seemed like Drever had “no intention of paying that”.
Defence agent Tommy Allan said the explanation was “slightly different, but not a great deal better”.
Drever, he said, was friends again with the person he owed compensation and thought there was “no need to pay” now.
Allan said Drever’s sleep pattern had been “all over the place”, which had prevented him from carrying out unpaid work.
But the sheriff said Drever had been given a six month extension to April 2025 to carry out the hours.
He deferred sentencing for the preparation of a criminal justice social work report, and for the unpaid hours to be carried out.
Sheriff Cruickshank said he would be “perfectly entitled” to impose a custodial sentence instead if the work was not completed.
A DOG which attacked another animal and its owner will not be destroyed after getting a positive report from the vet.
Barry Coutts, from Cunningsburgh, had pleaded guilty to being in charge of a dangerously out of control dog after the attack in September 2023.
The animal, described as a “black lurcher type” dog, set upon the complainer’s dog outside the Lounge Bar while left outside.
Coutts’ dog ran after the other animal and attacked it, with procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie saying in January it was “relentless in its attack”.
The complainer could not get the dog to stop, despite trying to punch and kick it, and it bit him on his hand to his injury.
The complainer was trying to punch and kick the dog to get it to stop, but it would not.
Sentence had been deferred to decide whether it could be proved that the dog was not a danger to others.
Sheriff Ian Cruickshank said the starting point for such an offence was for the dog to be destroyed, unless he could be persuaded it was not dangerous.
However defence agent Tommy Allan said they had received a letter from the vet that said the animal had been well behaved following a check.
The sheriff said he was satisfied that the dog did not need to be put down, and fined Coutts £300.
AN APPRENTICE mechanic who admitted supplying cocaine to a friend outside a Lerwick music event has been fined.
Ryan Peart, from Gulberwick, was spotted by police “slumped over” with another man in a car outside the Clickimin Leisure Centre on 17 August last year.
Officers were suspicious of the pair and went to check their car.
They found a single wrap of the class A drug in Peart’s wallet, which would have been worth £80-100.
And another bag in the driver’s side door contained more wraps, weighing around 0.7g each, which would have fetched an overall street value of between £640-800.
Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said it was clear the 20-year-old was “effectively sharing his personal amount with his friend”.
Peart admitted on Wednesday to supplying a controlled drug.
Defence agent Tommy Allan said Peart had begun to use cocaine after a car crash several years ago, adding his usage “got out of control”.
His supply of the drug was “purely on a social basis”.
Peart has received help for his substance use, the court was told, and has done “everything right” since the offence.
Sheriff Ian Cruickshank fined him £800, and said he was content that his supply “was on a social basis, not a commercial basis”.
A MAN from Sullom caught with heroin and cocaine has been fined at Lerwick Sheriff Court.
Sydney Johnson was in a vehicle stopped by police on 15 October last year, and taken to the police station to be searched.
The 32-year-old was found to have 2g of diamorphine, totalling around £70, and 0.28g of cocaine which would have had a value of £20.
Defence agent Tommy Allan said Johnson had been coming off methadone at the time and had been “tiding himself over with his own medication”.
Sheriff Ian Cruickshank fined Johnson £400.
A FIFTY one year old man has been charged with abusive behaviour towards a partner or ex-partner.
Brian Carr, whose address was given as Shetland, appeared from private at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday.
He made no plea and was committed for further examination. No date was given for his next appearance.
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