Couper jailed for persistent offending

NORTHERN isles sheriff Philip Mann has jailed a 20 year old persistent offender for eight months to teach him a lesson and stop his offending.

Trevor Couper, of 37 Cairnfield Road, Lerwick, appeared from custody at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Thursday where he admitted causing a breach of the peace on the town’s Esplanade on 16 October.

The court heard that Couper had been drinking after being released from custody on bail and started shouting, swearing and uttering threats.

At the time Couper was still under supervision for a series of offences where sentence had been deferred, including causing a breach of the peace in Lerwick on 28 November last year and again on 27 December.

Both incidents involved him banging on doors in Grostane, Lerwick, shouting and swearing and threatening people, including police officers with whom he had struggled while resisting arrest.

He also admitted stealing a bottle of Jaegermeister spirits from the Co-op supermarket on 19 April, and breaching a bail condition not to drink in public on 4 March.

Defence agent Tommy Allan agreed his client had a very poor record of offending, but insisted it was tailing off.

“Hopefully Mr Couper is someone like many young men who go through a spate of offending and come out the other side,” he said.

He added that Couper had become addicted to “legal highs” in recent months and his recent 16 day stint behind bars had weaned himself off the drugs and helped him to see his situation more clearly.

However Sheriff Mann said that the court had indulged him for too long and what had “put the tin lid on it” was his latest arrest on the day he had been released from court on bail for the theft of a bottle of spirits.

“If you are not prepared to take responsibility for your actions then I am not prepared to give you any further leeway,” the sheriff said.