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View Full Version : Cases from today's sheriff court session



Nwicker60
12-Oct-12, 16:48
Gas used to subdue chain-swinging accused court told

POLICE officers had to use CS gas to subdue a man with two knives who was swinging a heavy metal chain at them.
The spray enabled Constables Brian Heriot and Ross Robertson to take Douglas Wilkie into custody, Wick Sheriff Court heard yesterday.
Wilkie, 27,described as a prisoner at Inverness Prison admitted, on indictment, assaultingthe officers by attempting to strike them with the chain.
He also pleaded guilty to being in possession of a kitchen knife and a Stanley knife. The incident occurred after the police spotted Wilkie in Thurso Road, Wick, while on patrol, on July 18. They wanted to check with him whether there was a warrant out for his arrest.
David Barclay, prosecuting, said that the officers noticed there was a knife sticking out of his jacket pocket. They were about to request Wilkie to take his hands out of his pockets when he produced a metal chain and began to swing it at the officers in an attempt to strike them with it.
Mr Barclay went on: “He made some comment about ‘taking out the officers’ It was clear that the Wilkie was adopting a violent stance towards them and their CS gas spray was deployed. Initially, the accused kept on swinging until it was clear the gas was affecting his ability to see what was going on around him. The constables also had to strike him on one of his legs with a baton, in order to ensure public safety and to disarm him. At that point Wilkie let go of the chain and the kitchen knife was removed from his jacket.”
Later, at the police station, the Stanley knife was also recovered from one of his pockets.
Sheriff Andrew Berry, who was advised that Wilkie, fully anticipating a custodial
sentence, wished to be dealt with immediately, said that a social inquiry
report was necessary, as the accused was currently subject to a community payback order. The sheriff,who examined the chain and the knives, asked that the report address the risk that Wilkie would pose to the public if liberated. The weapons were ordered to be forfeit.
Wilkie was remanded pending his appearance for sentence on November 2.



"I won't co-operate with social workers" warns the accused..."That will also be reflected in their report " warns the sheriff

A THURSO man,who spat at two police officers, told a sheriff he would not co-operate with social workers due to compile a report on him.
The surprise reaction came after Sheriff Berry called for the report and remanded Darren Cooper, advising him to co-operate with social workers.
Before being led away, the handcuffed accused declared: “I am not going to co-operate with them.”
Sheriff Berry replied: “That will also be reflected in their report.”
The court was told that the incident occurred while Cooper, of 25 Pennyland Drive, Thurso, was being led to a police car, near his home, early on Thursday morning. Police wanted to speak to him about a certain matter.
Cooper, 27, then spat each of the constables, Mark Hilliard and Jamie Farquhar in the face. The court was told that the accused had, as a result breached a supervisory order, relating to an early release from prison.
Sheriff Berry who described the spitting incident as “disgusting”, said there was a real possibility that Cooper was currently “out of control” and requested that the report should also address the question of his risk to the public.
Cooper will reappear for sentence on November 2.