Fine, ban and unpaid work

A SCALLOWAY man has landed in hot water after admitting a series of offences including possessing cocaine, fleeing from the police and failing to give specimens of breath.

Kevin Clark, of 5 Undirhoull, East Voe, was fined, banned from driving for three years, and ordered to carry out unpaid work at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday.

Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said that in the early hours of 24 June, the 48 year old was spotted by police as they drove past a pub in Lerwick.

They saw him drive off in a vehicle before stopping on King Harald Street and running up an alleyway. He tried to hide, but was found with around £250 worth of cocaine.

When they caught up with him, he struggled with the police and tried to dispose of the drugs before being arrested.

A roadside breath test showed the man had a “significant” alcohol level that was over five times the limit, but he refused to give samples when taken to the police station at Market Street.

Two weeks later on 8 July, a member of the public phoned the police saying they were “concerned” by Clark’s driving in and around Scalloway.

Police went to his house to find him locked in his bathroom. He then failed another handheld breath test, but again refused to provide further samples.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said that Clark had “settled down” after “going off the rails” in the mid to late 1990s.

However the recent stress of leaving his job to start up his own business had led to his behaviour “unravelling”.

Sheriff Philip Mann told Clark it was “time to pull your socks up”, warning his actions could have had “dire consequences”.

He was banned for 36 months and ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work for failing to provide breath samples.

He was also fined £400 for possessing cocaine and running away from the police.