Almost jail for banned teen

A SHETLAND teenager was placed on probation and given 180 hours community service after admitting a string of driving offences, at Lerwick Sheriff Court yesterday (Wednesday).

On 8 November last year, 17 year old James Maloney, of 2 Housaquoy, Brae, attempted to take a Suzuki quad from a house in Busta, near Brae, before actually taking a Honda quad from a house nearby, in both cases without the owner’s permission.

He also pled guilty to driving the quad through the village of Brae without a licence and insurance that day.

He then admitted taking his mother’s car without permission from outside his home on 8 January, driving it without insurance and a licence on the road to Mossbank and crashing it into a ditch at Firth, leading to a charge of careless driving.

Maloney also admitted obstructing the police at Lerwick’s Viking bus station on 23 January, by standing in front of a police car and refusing to move.

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The court heard that a lot of effort had gone into finding Maloney a place in the army, but the military were no longer interested in him following these offences.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said this had been “a wake up call” and he hoped to get his life back on track.

Sheriff Derek Livingston banned Maloney from driving for nine months, placed him on probation for two years and ordered him to carry out 180 hours voluntary work, saying he was very close to a custodial sentence.