Court / Campaigner Hill jailed after refusing to pay fine or carry out unpaid work

AN ELDERLY sovereign campaigner will spend the next three months in jail after refusing to carry out just 75 hours of unpaid work.

Stuart Hill said he would not pay a £500 fine imposed on him in Kirkwall or carry out community service in its place.

Instead he repeatedly challenged the authority of Lerwick Sheriff Court and Sheriff Ian Cruickshank.

He also had sent two invoices to the court ordering the sheriff to make two separate payments of £132,000 to him for his behaviour to Hill.

Sheriff Cruickshank implored Hill to accept either the fine or unpaid work, saying he would be left with no other option but to jail him unless he did.

But Hill’s belligerence continued and, despite the sheriff telling Hill he was 82-years-old and should know better, he was eventually jailed for three months.

Hill, of Cunningsburgh, twice appeared in the dock from custody on Wednesday, with an irate sheriff ordering him to “be quiet” on several occasions during the first calling.

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Hill accused him of being “antagonistic” and repeated his usual claims about the court having no authority in Shetland.

At one point, Hill interrupted the sheriff and told him: “I accept your offer to take over as sheriff”.

With Hill claiming the court had no jurisdiction in Shetland, Sheriff Cruickshank asked him what would happen if he was to be seriously assaulted in his own home and someone took his personal belongings.

“That’s a different question,” Hill responded.

The sheriff deferred the first case to allow Hill to consider his position, saying he did not want to send an 82-year-old man to prison.

However on his return appearance hours later Hill was no different, calling the sheriff “confrontational” as he arrived into the dock.

In response, the sheriff said Hill’s arguments about the court having no jurisdiction over Shetland were “totally incompetent” and “fanciful twaddle”.

Reading from two invoices he had been served by Hill, the sheriff said he was “grateful to see” the Sovereign Nation of Shetland was not VAT registered as it “saves me some money”.

The sheriff continually offered Hill the chance to accept either unpaid work or a fine and said to him: “You and you alone are leaving me no alternative”.

When Hill again refused, Sheriff Cruickshank sentenced him to three months in jail.

As the decision was read out, Hill shouted to the sheriff “you do not have the authority” before being led away.