News / Trio fined by court
A TWENTY six year old man who kicked a car door and threw a hammer in a “threatening manner” has been fined £400 after appearing at Lerwick Sheriff Court.
Liam Johnson, of Runnadale, Ollaberry, admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner on the A970 road at Brae on 14 April last year.
Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said Johnson was incensed because he believed the occupants of the car in question had stolen two outboard engines from a boat he had been using.
Defence agent Tommy Allan told the court on Tuesday that the two motors had been removed from the boat.
Johnson became “very upset” and was moved to tears, but the hammer was “thrown in a fit of rage rather than to hurt anyone”.
Allan said his client was on a methadone prescription and trying to conquer a drugs problem.
The outboard motors were part of a small fishing boat he had acquired. He now has a 28-foot boat and is hoping to expand his operation and make a career for himself.
Johnson was angry because he felt others were trying to prevent him from finding a way out of the lifestyle he had been leading.
Sheriff Philip Mann said Johnson’s conduct was “out of order” and would have been frightening for the others involved. He fined him £400, reduced from £500 to reflect his guilty plea.
A FIFTY one year old man who assaulted his former partner in a drink-fuelled incident following a night out to celebrate his birthday has been fined £400.
Anthony Jamieson, of 5 Stouts Court, Lerwick, admitted to assaulting the woman by pushing and repeatedly punching her on the head to her injury when he appeared at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Tuesday.
The events occurred at another house in Lerwick on 20 December last. Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said that, as is so often the case with such incidents, drink had been involved.
One minute Jamieson was happy, and the next his mood inexplicably changed. The woman sustained bruising to her arm and bruising and swelling around her eye.
Defence agent Tommy Allan said Jamieson had been in a relationship with the woman but there has been no contact between them since.
Allan said the incident happened after the couple had been out drinking to celebrate Jamieson’s birthday.
He did not recall striking the woman but was “very sorry and disappointed with himself”, though when the argument erupted his glasses – worth some £700 – were knocked off his face and there was “some element of provocation”, the defence lawyer said.
A WOMAN who drunkenly brandished a hammer and made threatening remarks about a police officer has been fined £250.
Forty nine year old Jill Newman, of 94 Sandveien, Lerwick, admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by brandishing the tool at her home on 19 December last year.
Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said Newman had been drinking and threatened to self-harm before producing the hammer in front of the police and making threats towards another officer who was not present.
Defence agent Tommy Allan said it was a decade since his client had last been in court.
She had struggled with alcohol over the years and had been dry for four years before having “a bit of a blip”, but has stopped drinking again now.
On the night in question she was “very upset” and there had been “a bit of banter” before she picked the hammer up.
Allan said she “didn’t brandish it for any length of time” and complied when she was told “don’t be silly, put the hammer down”. She was apologetic for making the threats.
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