Here are five stories you may have missed from Lerwick Sheriff Court this week.
1) Man jailed after being caught with cannabis resin at island ferry terminal
A 24-year-old man who admitted being concerned in the supply of more than £1,500-worth of cannabis resin was given a six-month jail term yesterday.
Alexander Hart, of Beattie Avenue in Aberdeen, admitted to the charge dating back to 22 January 2016 at Lerwick Ferry Terminal.
He was found in possession of 105g of the class B substance, with an estimated value of £1,575, and 1.7g of cocaine, worth around £100.
His co-accused, 23-year-old Peter Lovie, of Craigielea Avenue in Aberdeen, admitted possessing 11.2g of cannabis worth around £165 on the same date.
He was given a community payback order and told to carry out 60 hours’ unpaid work.
Both men committed the offences while on bail granted at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said police were acting on intelligence after the pair arrived in Shetland on the NorthLink ferry.
Defence agent Tommy Allan said Hart, who is currently serving a 30-month sentence for a “non-analogous matter”, had been in a bad place after separating from his girlfriend, with whom he had a child.
He had come to Shetland to enjoy the Up Helly Aa festival and during the ferry journey was made aware that Lovie was in possession of cannabis and asked to help out.
Allan said his client was left in a cabin with the packages of cannabis, which he thought was a personal amount for Lovie’s use until he was next back in Aberdeen, and he was “completely naive” about the drug’s value within the islands.
Cocaine was not something he was a user of and when asked about it by police he was “visibly upset and burst into tears”.
Sheriff Philip Mann told Hart that dealing drugs “almost automatically leads to custody”.
“You acted as a courier, and you must have known what you were getting into,” he said, jailing him for six months to be served consecutive to his existing prison term.
2) Shetland man felt “a sense of shame” after being caught with drugs
A 30-year-old Shetland man who admitted being concerned in the supply of cannabis resin has avoided a jail term.
James Woods, of Ladies Drive, Lerwick, admitted possessing the class B substance at Ladies Drive on June 3 last year.
He was stopped by police and a number of wraps, containing 88g of cannabis with an estimated value of £880, were discovered.
Defence agent Tommy Allan said Woods felt a “sense of shame” and that he had let others down.
Sheriff Philip Mann said it was “very seldom” he did not issue a custodial sentence for any kind of dealing.
He told Woods that even when buying something like cannabis to share with friends, “it’s that mug that has to pick up the tab”.
He was given a community payback order and will have to complete 180 hours of unpaid work as well as observing a restriction of liberty order between 10pm and 6am every night for the next three months.
3) Island man spared jail for drug possession after showing “proper remorse”
A man who was found in possession of cannabis worth £1,000 and a trace amount of cocaine has avoided jail after showing “proper remorse” while cooperating with a social work report.
Jordan Palmer, of Gremmasgaet in Lerwick, admitted possession the substances at his home on April 15 last year.
He was given a community payback order with a supervision requirement for one year. Palmer was also ordered to carry out a total of 200 hours of unpaid work.
4) Intoxicated man phoned police because he was lost
A 25-year-old man was found in possession of ecstasy after phoning police in a “highly intoxicated” state because he was lost near Shetland’s Sumburgh Airport.
Darryl Allan, whose address was given as West Crescent in Troon, made the call while walking along the A970 road near the airport on October 23 last year.
Police searched him and found three ecstasy tablets with a value of around £30. Representing himself, Allan said he could not recall the incident but realised his behaviour had been “quite stupid”.
He was fined £250.
5) Lerwick man shouted homophobic remarks in pub
A 22-year-old man who admitted drunkenly shouting homophobic remarks in two Lerwick pubs last autumn has been fined £150.
Ellis Birnie, of Sandveien, Lerwick, pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting, swearing and making the homophobic comments at the Thule Bar and Captain Flints on September 27.
Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said Birnie had spotted some people he knew at the bar and started shouting, swearing and “making derogatory remarks about the females’ perceived sexuality”.
Defence agent Tommy Allan said his client suffered from epilepsy and diabetes, and did not always manage his diet as well as he could.
He added that he accepted he became involved in a dispute and said “inappropriate” things.
Sheriff Philip Mann said it had been a “really stupid” thing to do and he hoped it would be a “wake-up call”.
“Look after your health and be wise enough to understand you can’t go out and abuse alcohol in this way,” he told Birnie.
