Curfew breach slight

Accused was five minutes over deadline court told

A SHERIFF has accepted that a Wick man who breached a curfew by a matter of minutes, had the best of intentions.
Alexander Macalpine, 27, was observed by police running in the direction of his home at 30 Battery Road, Wick, at 7.05pm on Friday, the town's sheriff court heard yesterday.
Macalpine admitted breaching the 7am-7pm curfew imposed on March 8.
Fiscal depute, Fraser Matheson said that, despite the minimal margin of error, the accused was still in breach of the curfew order and was arrested and detained by police officers.
Solicitor Fiona MacDonald said that Macapline had been visiting his mother, suddenly realised the time and quickly set off home.
Sheriff Andrew Berry said he would treat the breach on the basis that Macalpine had genuinely lost track of time and had done his best to try to rectify matters..
The case was continued for three months to give the accused an opportunity to demonstrate he can behave himself..
However, in a separate case, another breach, of a non-harassment order, did not attract the same sympathy.
Appearing from custody, Angelo Begg pleaded guilty to failing to comply with a non-harrassment order imposed on March 3. It banned him from any contact with Anne Livingstone.
Begg, 24, of 3 Henderson Street, Thurso, was arrested after he was found walking towards the front door of her home in Thurso, in the early hours of yesterday.
Sheriff Berry said that he regularly spelled out the meaning of "no-contact" in detail, to offenders and that he failed to understand why anyone could be in any doubt about it.
The sheriff referred to Begg's record which includes repeated breaches of court orders and remanded him in custody until for a background report, until May 13 when unrelated matters, a deferred sentence and a review of an unpaid work order will also be considered..