Nwicker60
23-Jan-14, 13:59
Accused runs out of chances after drink test breach
A THURSO man who squandered a chance he received from a sheriff to break the grip alcohol has on him, has been jailed for four months.
Francis McPhee, 24, was released on bail earlier this week pending a trip to Inverness for treatment for his drinking said to be “slowly killing him”.
Macphee, of 6 Macpherson Walk, previously admitted charges of assault and threatening or abusive behaviour and a record, at Wick Sheriff Court. He appeared from custody, on Tuesday and was granted bail with a special condition banning him from taking alcohol and making him subject to random breath test by police.
However, when stopped by police in Watten, on Tuesday, McPhee refused to be tested after officers got a smell of alcohol from his breath but admitted he had had some beer.
McPhee reappeared yesterday and admitted breaching the special bail condition.
The court was told that he had gone down to the licensed shop in Watten to get an item for his mother and succumbed to the temptation and bought a can of beer for himself.
Solicitor Neil Wilson appealed for Sheriff Andrew Berry to allow McPhee to continue with his original intention and catch the train to Inverness.
Sheriff Berry replied: “I have no confidence that the accused would comply with another bail order, standing recent matters. He has offended while on bail, has two convictions for breach of community service and so on and so on.”
The sheriff recalled the outstanding assault and disorderly conduct offences and imposed a composite jail sentence of four months.
The assault was carried out on a women at the Harbour Guest House in Wick on January 9 this year. The other offence involved threatening or abusive behaviour at Sutherland’s pharmacy in Thurso on November 25, last year.
McPhee admitted both charges.
Dangerous driving charge dropped
A CHARGE of dangerous driving against a Watten man has been found not guilty, today, after the fiscal stated he was no longer seeking a conviction.
The trial involving James Murphy, 47, was stopped, after evidence was heard from two witness.
Murphy, of New House, Quoybrae, Watten, was alleged to have repeatedly tail-gated another car on the A99, Wick to Killimster road, on January 19, last year, overtaken it and blocked its path, whereby the driver had to take evasive action. He pleaded not guilty and conducted his own defence.
A THURSO man who squandered a chance he received from a sheriff to break the grip alcohol has on him, has been jailed for four months.
Francis McPhee, 24, was released on bail earlier this week pending a trip to Inverness for treatment for his drinking said to be “slowly killing him”.
Macphee, of 6 Macpherson Walk, previously admitted charges of assault and threatening or abusive behaviour and a record, at Wick Sheriff Court. He appeared from custody, on Tuesday and was granted bail with a special condition banning him from taking alcohol and making him subject to random breath test by police.
However, when stopped by police in Watten, on Tuesday, McPhee refused to be tested after officers got a smell of alcohol from his breath but admitted he had had some beer.
McPhee reappeared yesterday and admitted breaching the special bail condition.
The court was told that he had gone down to the licensed shop in Watten to get an item for his mother and succumbed to the temptation and bought a can of beer for himself.
Solicitor Neil Wilson appealed for Sheriff Andrew Berry to allow McPhee to continue with his original intention and catch the train to Inverness.
Sheriff Berry replied: “I have no confidence that the accused would comply with another bail order, standing recent matters. He has offended while on bail, has two convictions for breach of community service and so on and so on.”
The sheriff recalled the outstanding assault and disorderly conduct offences and imposed a composite jail sentence of four months.
The assault was carried out on a women at the Harbour Guest House in Wick on January 9 this year. The other offence involved threatening or abusive behaviour at Sutherland’s pharmacy in Thurso on November 25, last year.
McPhee admitted both charges.
Dangerous driving charge dropped
A CHARGE of dangerous driving against a Watten man has been found not guilty, today, after the fiscal stated he was no longer seeking a conviction.
The trial involving James Murphy, 47, was stopped, after evidence was heard from two witness.
Murphy, of New House, Quoybrae, Watten, was alleged to have repeatedly tail-gated another car on the A99, Wick to Killimster road, on January 19, last year, overtaken it and blocked its path, whereby the driver had to take evasive action. He pleaded not guilty and conducted his own defence.