Court / Lerwick man admits making threats and brandishing weapons

A THIRTY three year old man has admitted drunkenly threatening to murder his own brother while wielding a knife and an axe.

Calum Leslie, of King Harald Street, Lerwick, pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting, swearing, repeatedly headbutting the window of a house in Cunningsburgh, uttering threats and brandishing the weapons on 10 July last year.

Lerwick Sheriff Court heard on Thursday that Leslie was in a shed near the brothers’ mother’s home in the South Mainland and had been drinking.

Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said a disagreement ensued over a sensitive family matter with Leslie turning aggressive, resulting in his brother returning to the house and locking the door.

Leslie then began shouting, threatening to murder his brother, headbutting the window and brandishing the axe.

His brother retreated upstairs and filmed what was going on, before a neighbour overheard the disturbance – at which point Leslie desisted.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said the family had been affected by tragedy but the two would “always be brothers” – and his sibling had been in telephone contact asking after Leslie’s welfare prior to his court appearance.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank deferred sentence and continued Leslie’s bail until 2 February while a criminal justice social work report is prepared.