Drink turns celebration nasty

A FISHERMAN who celebrated turning 18 by getting drunk and assaulting a 15 year old friend was fined at Lerwick Sheriff Court yesterday (Wednesday).

Sydney Johnson, of 5 Gossaford, Brae, had already been drinking at a house party during the Brae Up Helly Aa fire festival when the clock struck midnight on 20 March this year.

To celebrate turning 18 he went out to buy a drink from a bar, returning four hours later the worse for wear.

By this time the party had ended and the 15 year old was sitting on the sofa next to his sleeping girlfriend.

Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said that Johnson started accusing his victim of breaking a pane of glass in the door and hurling abuse at him and his girlfriend who was now awake.

“The accused started to assault him and his girlfriend was so scared she could do nothing more than sit with her head in her hands covering her eyes,” Mr Mackenzie said.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said that Johnson “clearly had way too much to drink”, but admitted the charge of assault by punching to the head to his victim’s injury.

He said that Johnson had apologised the following morning and thought the incident had been resolved. Instead he was fined £250 and ordered to pay his victim £150 compensation.