Court / Court round-up 2 October

A DRIVER who sped through a Lerwick roundabout and then refused to give a drugs wipe to police has been left on the brink of a ban.

William Tulloch, from Lerwick’s Robertson Crescent, admitting to driving without due care or attention and failing to give a drug wipe without reasonable excuse on 20 December 2024.

Tulloch, 39, was seen to speed through the junction and roundabout at Gremista Brae at around 10am, with another vehicle having to brake hard to avoid a collision.

Police caught up with Tulloch shortly after, but he refused to give them a drug wipe when they asked him to.

His reasoning was that he had given a “false positive” drug wipe at work previously, and did not want to risk the same thing happening again.

Despite being given “multiple opportunities” to provide one, he refused and was arrested.

Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie told Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday that Tulloch was stopped by police again a couple of weeks later and was again asked to provide a drug wipe, which he agreed to do on this occasion.

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Defence agent Gregor Kelly said the reason for this was because Tulloch’s son was also in the car at the time, and he said he knew he would be arrested again if he refused.

He said this was more of an incident of “inconsiderate driving” than anything else.

Tulloch was given five penalty points for the charge of driving without due care or attention, taking him to 11 penalty points, while he was also fined a total of £800.

A MAN who attacked someone in a financial dispute while queueing in a Lerwick pharmacy has been fined.

John Richmond, from Arheim in Lerwick, headbutted the complainer and threw a punch at him in Laing’s Pharmacy on Kantersted Road on 28 February this year.

The man did not sustain any injuries following the attack.

At Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday, defence agent Tommy Allan argued that 56-year old Richmond now suffered poor health and was effectively house-bound, so a repeat of the incident was unlikely.

He asked for sentence to be deferred for Richmond to be of good behaviour.

However Sheriff Ian Cruickshank decided instead to fine Richmond £300, citing the nature and location of the offence.

A TWENTY nine year old man was remanded after appearing at Lerwick Sheriff Court in private on Thursday.

Kyle Swannie, whose address was given as Shetland, appeared on five charges, including assault to injury and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

He made no plea and was fully committed for trial.

A WOMAN from Lerwick has been fined £400 after failing to return a hired car and allowing someone else to drive it without appropriate insurance being in place.

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Lerwick Sheriff Court heard on Thursday how Kayleigh Cassidy, of Hill Grind, had hired the car between late February and early March.

Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said the car was never returned, and no more payments were made.

He said the hire company ultimately cancelled her insurance on the vehicle, and the following day the car was involved in an accident on 19 March when it was being driven by another person.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said Cassidy had received information about the car hire being extended but this may not have been “reliable”. However, he said she accepted responsibility for the offence.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank issued fines totalling £400 in addition to a discretionary disqualification of eight months.