Tagged man allowed his free supper

AN UNEMPLOYED Shetland man who was tagged for three months at Lerwick Sheriff Court last month is being allowed half an hour’s freedom every night to collect a free supper from the local fish and chip shop.

In May 35 year old Martin Maclean, of 7a Pitt Lane, Lerwick, was placed on probation for 18 months after pleading guilty to stealing keys from the town’s Grand Hotel and entering two rooms where he took a mobile phone and charger, a suitcase and its contents, a passport and a wrist watch.

Yesterday (Wednesday) Maclean was back in court after breaching his tagging order several times.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said his client admitted breaching the order, saying: “He’s been in the habit of going to the fish shop before it closes because they give you free food then.”

Mr Allan said that it had been explained to him that every time he leaves his flat the security company is alerted and that apart from his late night trips for food he was complying with the order.

Sheriff Graeme Napier decided to allow Maclean to keep having his free meals by revoking his existing order and imposing a new one that gives him a half hour break between 10.45pm and 11.15pm every night.

When asked what he would do at weekends when the fish and chip shop closes in the early hours of the morning he said he was asleep by then so he was not looking for food.