Friday 29 March 2024
 7°C   SSE Gentle Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

Court / Man avoids prison after admitting heroin supply charge

Lerwick Sheriff Court.

A FIFTY eight year old man who has “thrown away his life” due to drug addiction has been spared a jail term after admitting being concerned in the supply of heroin. 

Steven Priest, of Lerwick’s Nederdale, admitted a charge of supplying the class A substance at his home on 6 June last year. 

He also pleaded guilty to possessing class A drug cocaine and class C drug Pregabalin on the same date.

At Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday, Sheriff Ian Cruickshank imposed an 18-month community payback order and a four-month restriction of liberty order requiring Priest to stay within his home from 7pm-7am every day. 

Defence agent Gregor Kelly told the court his client had “genuine remorse” both for becoming involved in supply and for squandering much of his life due to his own heroin addiction. 

He said the addiction was clearly the root cause of Priest’s criminality and that he would benefit from assistance in tackling his lifestyle problems. 

Priest’s most recent conviction had been eight years ago and his last conviction for supplying drugs was 12 years ago, Kelly said.

Last month the court heard that Priest had a “relatively limited” involvement in dealing but the 10.55 grams of diamorphine found by police, worth £520 when broken down, was “over that which could be inferred for personal use”. 

Sheriff Cruickshank said that while Priest did have a past record, he would refrain from imposing a custodial sentence. 

He imposed the restriction of liberty order by way of punishment having adjudged that Priest’s poor health would have made carrying out unpaid hours problematic.

Space2face

Space2face Shetland

Space2face Shetland is an independent and confidential service which uses Restorative Justice and the arts to bring those harmed by crime or conflict and those responsible for the harm into communication. We enable everyone affected by a particular incident to play a part in repairing the harm and finding a positive way forward.

If you would like to reach out to us, please contact us via e-mail info@space2face.org or mobile 07564 832467.

If you would like to know more, visit our website www.space2face.org, or our Facebook page #space2faceshetland.


The project is also currently fundraising to secure office space in Shetland’s brand-new creativity and wellness centre, The Mission. If you’re interested in getting involved, or making a donation, head over to www.space2face.org/how-you-can-help

 

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

We're committed to ensuring everyone has equitable access to impartial, open and quality local journalism that benefits all residents.

By supporting Shetland News, you play a vital role in ensuring we remain a pivotal resource in supporting the community.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.