Court / Vidlin man who used walking stick to smash police station door is fined
A MAN who smashed the Lerwick Police Station door after striking it more than 50 times with his walking stick has been ordered to repay some of the costs.
Edwin Simpson flew into a rage at the disabled toilet facilities in Lerwick’s Magno café/restaurant on 11 October last year, brandishing his stick at staff members and shouting and swearing at them.
The 57-year-old, from Vidlin, told them he would be calling the police and his MSP about them.
He did indeed call the police – who overheard him striking the Magno window repeatedly with his walking stick when he was on the phone.
Simpson then turned up at the police station one or two hours later, where he was “extremely intoxicated” according to procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie.
He raised his anger about the disabled toilet situation in Magno, with officers explaining to him it was a matter for environmental health rather than themselves.
Simpson was angered by this, and though he left he returned at 9pm and found the building locked up.
Officers returning from patrol found the reception door “badly smashed”, and after reviewing CCTV footage saw Simpson repeatedly striking it with his walking stick.
The estimated cost of the damage was around £1,000, Mackenzie told the court.
Defence agent Tommy Allan said Simpson “had too much to drink”, and after being annoyed about the disabled toilet facilities at Magno “simply would not let it go”.
Simpson had asked Allan to apologise to the court on his behalf, the solicitor added.
And he said he would be willing to repay the costs of the damage to the door.
However there was some debate about this, after Allan said his client would only be able to repay the compensation at a rate of £25 a month.
Sheriff Philip Mann said this would mean it would take Simpson more than three years to pay off the cost of the damage.
He also questioned whether the police would have insurance to cover the costs of the smashed glass instead.
The sheriff decided not to ask Simpson to pay the £1,000 compensation, instead ordering him to pay back £300 instead.
Sheriff Mann also fined Simpson £200 for threatening Magno’s staff, and a further £200 for his behaviour at the police station, for a total financial penalty of £700.
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