Court / Sheriff tells Hill ‘I’ve had enough’ in latest court appearance

SHERIFF Ian Cruickshank told veteran campaigner Stuart Hill he had “had enough” of him during a lengthy debate at Lerwick Sheriff Court.

Hill was returning to the court for the first time since being jailed in June for refusing to carry out 75 hours of unpaid work.

This time the 82-year-old was charged with driving without insurance, a test certificate, a licence and a valid licence plate after being stopped by police at Lerwick’s Market Cross on 3 May.

However Hill, who was representing himself, refused to even entertain questions about how he pleaded to the charges.

Instead he referred to himself as “the man called by the name Stuart” and went on a lengthy diatribe about the court’s need to prove its jurisdiction.

Hill, from Cunningsburgh, also refused to confirm that he was the man libelled in the court charges.

Sheriff Cruickshank offered Hill the chance of a debate in the court at a later stage to prove this, which he accepted.

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Hill continued that the court had no jurisdiction over him personally, and invited the sheriff to prove that it did.

In response Sheriff Cruickshank said: “Until you can convince me otherwise the court does have jurisdiction.”

Hill went on to claim that the court building was “simply a public place” and that it was not an official court.

He was joined at court on Wednesday by a number of supporters, some of whom scoffed and made comments as the case progressed.

Hill told the sheriff he could understand that he was “not able to agree with my arguments” because that could have far-reaching consequences for the UK justice system.

He asked if a recording of the court case could be made and kept publicly available, which Sheriff Cruickshank denied.

Then, Hill asked if he could instead make his own recording of the case.

Sheriff Cruickshank told Hill, who has previously been charged with contempt of court for recording a court case in Kirkwall, that he knew he could not do that.

Hill tried to call on procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie to speak, pronouncing “I now turn to the man Duncan”, but Sheriff Cruickshank refused to let him do that.

When Hill tried to challenge the procurator fiscal role, the sheriff decided to finally stop him – telling Hill: “Quite frankly, I’ve had enough. I don’t have to explain anything to you, Mr Hill.”

Sheriff Cruickshank recorded a plea of not guilty for Hill ex proprio motu – which the court can do without any application – and moved the case back for an intermediate diet and trial diet.

He said this would allow them to decide whether the person in the dock was the person charged with the offence.

Hill will return to court on 19 November for his intermediate diet, and on 18 December 2025 for the trial diet.