A north sheriff has bemoaned “truly spineless people in society” who let others face punishment for their crimes.
The remark was made as a Wick woman was admonished after previously refusing to co-operate with police and reveal the identity of a drink-driving suspect.
After being warned by Sheriff Andrew Berry a fortnight ago about the serious consequences that might follow, Stacey Bremner reconsidered her position and subsequently gave the police information.
Wick Sheriff Court was told previously that police had been conducting inquiries in the early hours of April 16 following a report of a car being driven erratically at Mill Lade, Carnaby Road, Wick.
Bremner, 26, had been observed running along behind the vehicle which was later found by the police abandoned.
As registered keeper of the car, Bremner, of Kennedy Terrace, Wick, was interviewed by officers but would not reveal who was driving.
She subsequently admitted refusing to disclose the name of the driver.
In court yesterday, however, fiscal Fraser Matheson reported that while Bremner was not sure about who had been driving, she was able to give the full name of one person who was in the car at time and added there were two others present whom she did not know.
Sheriff Berry told Bremner she would have saved a lot of trouble had she volunteered the information in the first place.
The sheriff added: “There are some truly spineless people in society who would leave others having to attend court and face potential consequences.
“There was a time when such people would have gone to the police and accepted responsibility and not allowed others to suffer but I suspect these days are long gone.”
