News / Man admits breaking into Lerwick chemist
A MAN from Lerwick who admitted breaking into a town centre chemist and thieving sedative tablets has been remanded in custody ahead of being sentenced next year.
Appearing from custody at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Thursday, Martin MacDonald, of Robertson Lane, admitted breaking into A.L. Laing’s chemist on the town’s Commercial Street on 15 October and stealing a quantity of tablets of the sedative lorazepam, while on bail.
The 43 year old also pled guilty to a string of road traffic offences, including a charge of dangerous driving on Lerwick’s South Road on 13 April.
He admitted driving at excessive speeds, repeatedly mounting the pavement to overtake traffic and causing pedestrians to take evasive action, entering the opposing carriageway while there was oncoming traffic and driving around a roundabout in an anticlockwise direction.
MacDonald did not have consent to drive the car or a valid licence, while there was no insurance or valid test certificate.
Sheriff Philip Mann said in the interests of fairness, he would defer all matters to a later date to allow MacDonald, who was representing himself, to attain a solicitor.
Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said MacDonald had a “very aggressive” problem with drugs and would be better served by spending time in custody where he wouldn’t be able to “return to his old habits”, instead of being released on bail.
He added that MacDonald, who suggested he had been suffering from mental health problems, would be able to receive psychiatric help while in prison.
The fiscal said a recently prepared psychological assessment said there was “nothing wrong” with MacDonald, although some of his offences may have been committed while in a “drug induced psychosis”.
Sheriff Mann deferred all matters to 19 January when MacDonald is due to appear in court on other matters and remanded him in custody in the meantime. He was also given an interim driving ban.
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