Court round-up 14 February 2024

A TWENTY six year old man avoided a prison sentence when he appeared at Lerwick Sheriff Court this morning (Wednesday).

Callen Laurenson, of St Olaf Street, Lerwick, pleaded guilty to a charge of assault at a court hearing in January.

On Wednesday, the court heard how Laurenson had punched his victim several times, struck him with an “unknown heavy object” and held him in a headlock after falling out with his companion during a drinking session at an address in town on 9 October last year.

Defence solicitor Gregor Kelly said his client accepted that he was in a precarious situation given previous convictions for similar offences.

The solicitor conceded that the court would be entitled to send Laurenson to jail but asked the sheriff to deal with the case by way of a community payback order to allow Laurenson to prove himself.

Kelly said his client had secured a berth on a fishing boat and had undertaken steps to tackle his alcohol use.

Laurenson was put under supervision for 18 months and ordered to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work, all part of a community payback order.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank also told Laurenson to pay his victim £750 in compensation.

THE SENTENCING of a 31-year-old woman from Lerwick who pleaded guilty to two charges of shoplifting has been adjourned until next month.

Jade Paige, of Grostane, admitted taking a selection of groceries and other items worth almost £500 from the local Tesco and Co-op stores.

Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie told the court that these were two cases of straight shoplifting committed on 17 July and 23 July last year.

The items taken from Tesco on 17 July, which included 13 jars of Manuka honey, were worth £342.15, while six days later Paige shoplifted items worth £128 from the Co-op store.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank deferred sentence until 13 March for a criminal justice social work report and a restriction of liberty assessment to be prepared.

A THIRTY six year old man from Aith has been ordered to carry out 20 hours of unpaid work after being in possession of a number of drugs while at Lerwick Police Station on 30 July last year.

Jason Pottinger, of Marthatoon, admitted being in possession of two capsules of oxycodone, a class A drug, one table of morphine, also a class A drug, and one tablet of bromazalam, a class C drug.

The drugs were worth around £30, procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank said the community payback order was imposed as an alternative to a fine.

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