News / Struggled violently with officers after noise complaint
A MAN who struggled violently with police officers after he failed to turn down his speakers has been given unpaid work.
Thomas Drever, whose address was given as Hoofields, Lerwick, butted one of the police officers on the head in the struggle.
The 20 year old admitted at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Thursday to obstructing two police constables in the execution of their duty at his home address on 20 November last year, preventing them from exiting the property and struggling violently with them.
Drever also pleaded guilty to assaulting one constable by slamming a door on her foot, as well as butting another officer.
He admitted operating speakers and a television, also at his home address on the same day, as to give another person reasonable cause for annoyance – and failing to desist on being required to do so.
Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said officers attended the address at around 12.30am on a noise complaint and told Drever to turn the sound down.
He was warned of the consequences, and when officers had to return 45 minutes later they found Drever’s behaviour had escalated.
Mackenzie said the man was “clearly drunk” and was “belligerent and aggressive”.
Officers seized the sound equipment but Drever obstructed them as they tried to leave.
He was arrested when he slammed a door on an officer’s foot before he butted the other constable. Both officers did not receive any injuries.
Defence agent Gregor Kelly said his client had shown “genuine remorse” for his actions and said a “major change” in Drever’s life since the incident was that he has moved to Torry.
Sheriff Ian Cruickshank noted from a report into the offence that Drever said that it wasn’t just drink the sparked the incident, but a “raised level of testosterone”.
The sheriff told Drever that it was “ill-advised behaviour on your part”.
He gave him 100 hours of unpaid work and fined him £180 for failing to attend court on 20 December.
Kelly said it was “slipshod behaviour” from his client, who said he had lost a piece of paper sent by the court.
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