News / Man fined for carrying kitchen knife in town
A MAN originally from Spain who had a kitchen knife in Lerwick while he was visiting the isles with a friend has been fined £150.
Lerwick Sheriff Court heard on Wednesday that Oscar Sandin, of Lothian Road in Edinburgh, bought the knife before visiting Shetland on a short break ahead of starting a new job as a commis chef.
Defence agent Tommy Allan said the 21-year-old did not use the knife in an improper way and did not realise laws on blades were stricter in the UK.
Sandin appeared at the court on Friday to admit possessing a knife on Lerwick’s Commercial Street on 21 August without reasonable excuse or lawful authority.
Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said police were alerted by concerned members of the public who has seen Sandin with a knife on a short stretch of beach just after 9am.
“Police attended at the locus, found the accused who matched the description given, and he seemed aware of why the police were approaching him,” he said.
“He produced the knife from his rucksack and cooperated fully with the police.”
Allan said Sandin was due to become a chef and had bought the knife, which had a blade eight inches long, in Edinburgh before heading north.
He said there was no-one else on the beach at the time apart from Sandin and his friend.
Allan said his client had spent 26 hours in custody over the offence before being bailed on Wednesday and had “already paid a heavy price” for what he described as a mistake.
The solicitor added that Sandin’s longer-term plans to work as cabin crew for airlines would be under threat if he had a recorded conviction.
Fining Sandin, Sheriff Ian Cruickshank said he accepted that the 21-year-old had no intention to do anything untoward with the knife. He also granted a crown request to forfeit the knife.
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