Teen caused disturbance outside courtroom

A TEENAGER, who caused a disturbance outside the courtroom at Wick when it was in session, got a sixty hours community sentence and some home truths, from the sheriff.
The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was one of a group of people hanging about on the landing on the first floor of the court on September 2, last year.
The group was requested by police officer Maxine Jardine to move on because their behaviour was disrupting the ongoing court business. All but one of them, the teenager, complied. She confirmed she had no business with the court but was present to support someone who had.
Fiscal Fraser Matheson said that Constable Jardine, conscious of the fact that the court was in session, told the girl not to return to the court, but she began to shout and swear and ignored a further request.
Mr Matheson went on: "The accused called the officer a "f*****g spastic" and was immediately arrested. She later said at the police station that she had made the remark through bad temper."
Fiona MacDonald said that her client, a first offender who admitted threatening or abusive behaviour, deeply regretted her conduct which was "completely unacceptable".
The solicitor added that the girl was taking a computer course at her local college with a career in mind.
Sheriff Andrew Berry suggested that the accused might live to regret her actions which might cost her a job because of the conviction, when being considered along with another candidate - because of her "boorish, childish behaviour" which could have been avoided,
The sheriff went on to say that such behaviour was nothing new to courts in his experience which he described as "pathetic" and "painful"
He told the accused: "You have affected your entire future by your silly behaviour".