Jail term for breaking into Lerwick chip shop

A TWENTY eight year old man has been jailed for four months after admitting breaking into a Lerwick fish and chip shop with intent to steal.

Dominic Jordan, of Beech Road, Wirral, Merseyside, pleaded guilty to committing the offence at the Fort Chip Shop on Commercial Street around 11.30pm on Monday night.

Procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie said a woman whose flat overlooked the chippy heard the sound of breaking glass and looked out to see the window had been smashed.

When police arrived Jordan was found within the property but it wasn’t safe for him to come out through the broken window so a key-holder was called. Before the key-holder arrived Jordan attempted, unsuccessfully, to escape through the back of the building.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said his client had come to Shetland to try to find work and escape from a scene of drink and drugs.

While Jordan believes he is overcoming a cocaine habit, he continues to have a “big problem” with alcohol and has no recollection of what caused him to break into the chip shop. But he was “ashamed and embarrassed” by his actions.

Advertisement9 of 10

He has a number of previous convictions and was only released from a prison term in January.

Sheriff Arnold Duncan said he was sure Jordan’s intentions in coming to Shetland were “well founded”.

Had it been a one off the sheriff said he might have been more lenient, but he had a duty to “decide on something which will deter offenders like yourself”.

Jordan was imprisoned for four months, reduced from six months to reflect the fact that he pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.