Court / Lerwick man offered jail sentence after lack of progress on unpaid work
A PRISON sentence was offered to a repeat offender after he carried out just six of 80 hours of unpaid work he had been required to.
But 36-year-old Ross Sutherland opted instead to get to work on completing the order – with 26 more hours added on for good measure.
Sutherland, from Kveldsro Gardens in Lerwick, was at the town’s sheriff court today (Wednesday) to answer for his failure to carry out the unpaid work.
He had been ordered to carry out 80 hours within three months in December 2024, after admitting being in possession of almost six grams of cocaine on 25 November 2023.
The court heard in December that Sutherland was someone with an “unenviable history of previous convictions”, and that the drugs had been for his own personal use.
As an alternative to a fine, he was given a community payback order and unpaid work.
However the court heard today that Sutherland had only carried out six hours of work in that time, blaming illness for the lack of progress.
Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald took a dim view of Sutherland’s response, warning him that if he did not co-operate the order would be revoked.
“Do you want to go to jail?” she asked him, adding: “I can do that today.”
When Sutherland tried to give his reasoning for his lack of progress, the sheriff said: “Don’t answer me back or you will spend time downstairs [in a cell].”
She told Sutherland “you think you can do what you like, don’t you?” When he responded “no”, the sheriff added: “Good, because you can’t.”
Sutherland eventually explained he had been told he had not been allowed to hand in any more sick notes, which is why he had not been able to complete the work.
Sheriff MacDonald asked Sutherland if he was now willing to complete the hours, to which he said he would.
She warned him that, if he did not, he would be going to prison.
The sheriff added a further 26 hours to the original 80 hour order, and ordered him to carry out the work within six months.
If you have been affected by crime, help is available. Whether you are victim, a witness, or the accused, you can find independent, impartial, and confidential support in Shetland.
For victims of general crime:
Victim Support Shetland
Phone: 01595744524 or 0800 1601985
Web: https://victimsupport.scot/locations/victim-support-shetland/
Email: VictimSupportHighlandsIslands@victimsupportsco.org.uk
For anyone affected by crime & harm seeking a restorative approach:
Space2face
Phone: 07564 832467
Web: https://www.space2face.org
Email: info@space2face.org
For anyone affected by gender-based violence, including domestic abuse, coercive control, stalking, sexual assault, and rape:
Shetland Women’s Aid
Phone: 01595 692070
Web: https://www.shetlandwa.org
Email: office@shetlandwa.org
The Compass Centre (Shetland Rape Crisis)
Phone: 01595 744402 or 08088 010302
Web: https://www.compasscentre.org
Email: contact@compasscentre.org
For anyone affected by substance use:
Shetland Recovery Hub and Community Network
Phone: 01595 744402
Web: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100075791869200
Email: recoveryhub@shetland.gov.uk
Shetland Alcohol & Drug Partnership
Phone: 01595 743060 or 07342 077789
Web: https://shetlandadp.org.uk
Email: shet.sadp@nhs.scot
Substance Use Recovery Service
Phone: 01595 743006
