Court / Lerwick man jailed for a year for breaking non-harassment order

A LERWICK man who failed to adhere to a non-harassment order on two occasions this summer and admitted fighting with and injuring the woman he was barred from contacting has been given a one year prison sentence.

Sentencing Anthony Jamieson at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday, Sheriff Ian Cruickshank made the point that non-harassment orders were imposed for a reason.

Attending court proceedings via videolink from Grampian Prison, where Jamieson has been kept in custody since his first court appearance on 10 August, the 56-year old pleaded guilty to three charges.

In June last year, Jamieson was sentenced to 18 months in jail at Aberdeen Sheriff Court for domestic abuse. The court also imposed a three year non-harassment order that barred him from contacting or trying to contact the complainer.

However, following a tip off police attended at a house in Lerwick on 9 July to find both Jamieson and the woman residing at the address. Both had contracted Covid and were jointly self-isolating.

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A month later, both were found together at a different address in the town drinking. An argument developed which quickly became physical, the court heard. The ambulance was called, and police attended.

Defence solicitor Tommy Allan said that after being released from jail his client had initially tried to stick to the conditions of the non-harassment order. He was able to keep his resolve while he was sober, Allan added.

He said Jamieson appreciates that he should not have let her in when she came to him, and instead should have called the police.

The court heard that alcohol played a major role in the relationship.

The solicitor said: “He failed adhering to the non-harassment order, but it is difficult not to feel a degree of sympathy with him.”

Allan added that his client was keen to stay out the complainer’s life, and “key to this is to stay clear of alcohol”.

The court heard that the complainer now also wishes for the non-harassment order to stay in place.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank said that given the nature of the offences, coupled with the related previous conviction, the matter could only be resolved by imposing a prison term.

He said: “A non-harassment order is very clear in its terms, (…) it’s not okay to break a non-harassment order.”

He sentenced Jamieson to a total of 12 months in jail backdated to 10 August, the date he was taken into custody.

The sheriff also imposed a further non-harassment order prohibiting Jamieson from contacting or attempting to contact the complainer for a period of 18 months, “separately from the previous” order.