Additional cases from yesterday's sheriff court session

[Nwicker60]

Drunk man alarmed children in street

YOUNGSTERS were alarmed when their playtime activities were interrupted by drunken Peter MacPhee’s boorish behaviour.
He began staggering about, swearing and making unwelcome comments at them, in between swigging from a bottle of cider, in Nicolson Street, Wick, on August 12, last year.
One of the kids, aged 12, decided to do something about it. The girl went into a phone box and contacted the police. Officers found MacPhee (57) slumped against a wall, his cider bottle sitting next to him.
Solicitor Neil Wilson said that the accused had an alcohol problem – his previous convictions were all drink related – and appreciated that he was drinking himself into an early grave. When sober, he didn’t want to go down that road.
Mr Wilson said that MacPhee spent all his money on drink and had made an unusual suggestion that the social work depart assume responsibility for his finances which would ensure that his cash was wisely spent.
A social worker, present in court, said that if the accused was serious about signing the pledge, they would accept responsibility for his budgeting.
Sheriff Andrew Berry also underlined the potentially fatal consequences for MacPhee, of Kennedy Terrace, if he continued to drink. He imposed a one-year community payback order on the accused and a good behaviour bond.
The sheriff will review progress in a month’s time when he said he expected to see the accused, who admitted threatening or abusive behaviour, back in court, sober.

Taxi driver was messed about by fare

AN Occumster man who messed taxi driver about by a fare, in the early hours of the morning, was ordered to carry out 60 hours of unpaid community work.
Stefan Sutherland (24) of The Moorings, admitted a breach of the peace, in Miller Street, Wick, on February 13.
The court was told that the pair were looking for party when they got into the taxi. But when they arrived at a house they discovered there was no party there and told the driver to take them to another address.
Senior fiscal depute, David Barclay said that the taxi driver, James Dalquin, began to get the impression that the pair were messing him about and a heated argument developed which involved Sutherland struggling with the driver before running off with his companion who was the subject of a separate court case.
Solicitor George Mathers said that the pair had started laughing at one point which the taxi driver did not appreciate.
Mr Mathers added: “Taxi drivers work late hours and I can understand Mr Dalquin thinking he was being messed about. It was just immature, stupid, drunken behaviour”.
Sheriff Berry commented that taxi drivers deserved to be treated with respect.

Driver was over the limit

POLICE on mobile patrol in St Clair Avenue, Scrabster, observed a vehicle which appeared to be swerving.
Officers breathalysed the driver, Elizabeth Hamilton, of St Clair Avenue, and subsequent tests revealed that the 60-year-old was two-and-a-half times the legal limit.
Solicitor Jo McDonald said that Hamilton had consumed “a fair amount of drink” the previous night and a couple of drinks at lunchtime the following day, Thursday, had ‘topped up’ the reading. She had spent the night in custody and had found the experience “distressing and harrowing”.
Sheriff Berry ordered Hamilton, who is retired, to carry out 40 hours unpaid community service and added that he would have to reflect the high reading in the disqualification, which he fixed at two years.


.