Court sits in the cells

[Nwicker60]

Injured leg prevents accused climbing stairs to the dock

A CASE was heard in the cells below Wick Sheriff Court today because one of two accused detained, had an injured right leg and was unable to make his way up stairs to the dock.
Brandon Newlands 19, appeared at a cell door, along with co-accused, eighteen-years-old John Macaulay. They pleaded not guilty to various charges, following incidents in Wellington Street, Wick, yesterday.
Newlands denies three assaults, threatening behaviour and resisting the police.
The charges include allegations that he head-butted John Alexander causing him to fall backwards and strike a wall and stamped on his head while he was on the ground, kneed David Stobie, in his face, pushed Farah Newlands to the ground, resisted the police and challenge them to fight, and broke a pane at a door in the street.
Macaulay, of Glamis Road, Wick pleaded not guilty to acting with Newlands in the assault on Mr Stobie, assaulting Constable Alastair Bryce by jumping out of a police car and lunging at him, resisting arrest and challenging the police to fight.
Their trial was fixed for September 24. Newlands, of Ackergill Street, Wick, was granted bail by Sheriff Andrew Berry who conducted the case through the hatch of a room opposite the open cell door. Macaulay was remanded in custody.
Earlier, in the usual court surroundings, Farah Newlands appeared from custody and denied charges of breach of the peace and disorderly conduct.
These allege that she ran towards the edge of a cliff above an open air swimming pool known as The Trinkie, near Wick, yesterday in an attempt to jump off, and shouted and swore at the police. Newlands, 19, of Wellington Street, Wick, had her trial fixed for October 29.