Court /

Court round-up 29 October

29 October 2026 08:32

A DRIVER who crashed his van into a ditch while over the legal limit for alcohol has been banned.

Mark Anderson, from Skeld, was seen standing beside the vehicle “clearly intoxicated” on 9 October this year on the unclassified public road known as the Gulberwick loop road.

At around 9.30pm another driver saw the van in a ditch and Anderson, 55, standing nearby.

They called the police, and when they arrived Anderson was in a tractor driven by his brother, which was heading towards the van.

Anderson failed a breath test, with 62 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 22 microgrammes.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said there was “no good reason” for Anderson to have been driving, adding he had been in the pub and had made the “stupid decision” to get behind the wheel.

Anderson was banned from driving for one year, though he can reduce this by three months if he completes the drink-driver rehabilitation course.

He was also fined £1,000.

A DRINK driver who reported himself to the police in a “slightly unusual” case has been banned from the road.

Robert Henry, 20, reported a minor collision at the J&D Halcrow bus depot at Lerwick’s observatory to the police on 20 September this year.

When he did, Henry – of Lerwick’s Arheim – also told them that he had been drinking.

When they arrived then Henry failed a roadside breath test, which showed he had 52 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 22 microgrammes.

Henry admitted the charge at Lerwick Sheriff Court today (Wednesday).

Defence agent Tommy Allan said his client had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, and called this a “lapse of judgement”.

Sheriff Jennifer Gear banned Henry from driving for one year, though he can reduce this by three months if the completes the drink-driver rehabilitation course.

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Henry was also fined £600.

A LERWICK man who sent threatening messages to someone he had “bad blood” with has been placed under supervision.

Barry Coutts, from Hoofields, admitted threatening the man with violence during a phone call and over two messages on 24 April this year.

Lerwick Sheriff Court heard the 30-year-old was not happy with a new relationship that the man was in, and issued threats to him over the phone.

Defence agent Gregor Kelly said Coutts had “completely stepped over the line” but felt that they were not threats that would have been acted upon.

Sheriff Jennifer Gear placed Coutts under supervision for one year, and ordered him to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work within the next six months.

If you have been affected by crime, help is available. Whether you are victim, a witness, or the accused, you can find independent, impartial, and confidential support in Shetland.