News / Lost control
A MAN who moved to Shetland to start a new life was placed under supervision for 18 months after he lost control while drunk and assaulted four teenagers before throwing himself into the sea.
At Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday 22 year old Sean Barker, of 101 St Olaf Street, Lerwick, admitted four counts of assault on three 15 and 16 year olds.
The court heard Barker had been out celebrating his girlfriend’s birthday and started drinking heavily in the morning.
The assaults took place shortly after 5pm on 1 October last year, after he approached the youngsters on Lerwick’s Harrison Square asking if they knew where his girlfriend was.
Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie described his behaviour as “erratic”, saying he repeatedly hit the three males and caught the one female with a single blow when she tried to intervene. They had only suffered bumps and bruises, he said.
Later he had to be rescued from the sea, the court was told.
Defence agent Gillian Russell said Barker had a troubled background which had seen him serve time in prison last year, and he had moved to Lerwick from Fife to get away from negative influences.
He had also been experiencing difficulties gaining access to his children, but was now in a stable relationship.
Ms Russell said that he had no recollection of the incident and had been deeply shocked and ashamed when he was told what he had done. He is now seeking help from the drugs and alcohol service and has been offered work as a joiner.
Sheriff Philip Mann said that his initial thought was to send Barker to jail, but he had been persuaded that a community sentence might help deal with his problems.
He handed down an 18 month supervised community payback order during which he must carry out 230 hours of unpaid work. The order will be reviewed in four months time.
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