News / Police criticised for holding drink driver
SHERIFF Graeme Napier has criticised the police in Shetland for holding a drink driver in the cells over the weekend when he could have been released on an undertaking to appear in court.
Gabor Polgar, a 31 year old Hungarian living at 4 Da Noost, New Street, Scalloway, was arrested in the early hours of Saturday morning having been breathalysed after being stopped in a car on Lerwick’s Church Road.
More than 48 hours later, on Monday, the fish factory worker pled guilty to driving while more than twice the legal limit for alcohol and was banned for two years.
However Sheriff Napier restricted the fine to £340 due to the amount of time he had spent in the cells. The sheriff said that he had already spoken to Northern Constabulary about the practice of holding people in the cells before they had pled guilty to an offence.
In other cases at Lerwick Sheriff Court, 17 year old repeat offender Shaun Smith, of 12 Ladies Drive, Lerwick, was refused bail after he admitted sending grossly offensive text messages to a couple in the town on 7 October. The text messages were sent from Lerwick police station.
Last Monday Smith was locked up just one week after being released on appeal at the High Court for failing to abide by a night time curfew, but then released on bail on Wednesday prior to a further court appearance on 2 November.
He had previously had his bail refused on 19 September when he pled not guilty to pushing a girl down a flight of stairs at his home.
Finally 23 year old Wayne Hunter, of 80 Sandveien, Lerwick, pled not guilty to assaulting a man and a woman in a nearby house on Saturday.
He was released on bail on condition that he does not approach the couple, stays away from the address where the assault is alleged to have taken place and does not appear in a public place while under the influence of alcohol.
As part of the final condition he must submit to a breathalyser if asked to do so by a police officer before his trial on 15 December.
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