Court round-up 2 July 2026

A WALLS man told to expect a jail sentence after a lengthy series of assaults against his former partner, their children and a dog has had his case deferred again.

Henry Wishart, also known locally as Harry, had been due to be sentenced at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to the charges last month.

The 38-year-old pleaded guilty to subjecting his ex-partner to a catalogue of abuse between 1 January 2022 and 19 May 2025, which occurred across various locations including the family home and the A970 main road.

Between 1 April 2022 and 19 May 2025, Wishart also subjected his children to a series of attacks or assaults.

And on repeated occasions he also behaved violently towards the family dog in their presence, causing unnecessary suffering to the animal between 1 January 2023 and 1 May 2025.

He had been due to be sentenced on Wednesday, after his case was originally deferred for the preparation of background reports.

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However defence agent Tommy Allan said he had not had time to speak to his client since returning from a period of leave.

He asked for the case to be deferred for a week, and he said he wanted to “apologise to everyone involved in the case” for pushing it back.

Wishart will now return for sentencing on 8 July.

A MAN with a “history” of driving without insurance has been banned from the road and fined.

Liam Johnson, from Sullom, also admitted driving while over the legal limit for alcohol on 28 April 2026 at North Lochside in Lerwick.

Lerwick Sheriff Court heard Johnson had been trying to drive himself to the hospital at 1am when officers stopped him because his car was flagged as having no insurance.

They then suspected the 36-year-old had been drinking, and he failed a roadside check. Johnson had 31 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath, with the limit 22 microgrammes.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said Johnson had health difficulties, and had taken tablets for that along with some alcohol.

However he then felt he needed to go to hospital, and despite there being “no good reason” for doing so he decided to drive himself in.

Allan pointed out his client could have called an ambulance or a taxi instead.

Sheriff Robert Frazer said Johnson had a history of driving without insurance, and banned him from driving for one year. He also fined him £900.

SENTENCE has been deferred on a young Lerwick man who admitted threatening and abusing police officers earlier this year.

Nathan McAlpine, from St. Olaf Street, pleaded guilty to smashing a kitchen window at one Sletts Road property and the window of an external door in another on 25 March.

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He also admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards police in the aftermath, by shouting, swearing, struggling with them, calling them derogatory names and threatening them.

McAlpine, 22, also admitted trying to flood his cell at Lerwick Police Station by blocking the toilet with a blanket.

Sheriff Robert Frazer deferred sentence for the preparation of a criminal justice social work report. McAlpine will be sentenced on 29 July.

A MAN accused of a string of sexual assaults has had his case deferred for a week, with his solicitor saying he was hopeful of a resolution.

Ian Herridge, from Hillswick, is accused of various sexual offences against a number of young women between 1 January 2019 and 5 April 2025, at a business in the North Mainland.

Herridge has pleaded not guilty to all the offences.

The case had been deferred until 1 July, but defence agent Tommy Allan said he had been unable to meet and speak to Herridge since his last appearance.

He said he and Herridge would meet on Monday, and added he was confident the case was capable of resolution.

The case will be called again on 8 July.