Cells full as police report weekend of alcohol-fuelled incidents in town

The cells at Lerwick Police station were full to capacity over the the weekend, largely due to alcohol-fuelled incidents.
The police said the situation placed a strain on resources and as a consequence there was less visible policing.
Some of the offences resulted in court appearances yesterday but inquiries into a number of the incidents are still ongoing.

Police were called to Posers nightclub at around 1.45am on Saturday following reports on an assault in the premises. One man was taken to hospital and a suspect identified and charged. A report is being sent to the procurator fiscal.

The police are appealing for witnesses following a robbery which occurred near Lerwick’s Gilbertson Park about 2.15am on Sunday, in which the victim was approached by two men and assaulted before having his money taken.
One of the assailants is described as being six foot in height, of slim build, in his 20s, wearing a white baseball cap and blue jeans and speaking with a Scottish accent.

The second is described as five foot seen inches tall, in his 20s, wearing a white tracksuit top and jeans, and also speaking with a Scottish accent.

Anyone in the area at the time or who saw men matching the description either at, or leaving the area, is urged to contact police.

A man was assaulted on St Magnus Street, Lerwick, at around 2am on Saturday by an unidentified man. Police are following a positive line of inquiry in relation to the identification of the assailant, but are also appealing for any witnesses who were at or around the area at that time in the morning to contact them.

At around 2am on Saturday, police went to a house in Lerwick following the report of a drunk man shouting, swearing and banging on the door. The offender was kept in custody over the weekend and a report is being sent to the procurator fiscal.

And at 3am on Sunday, police were called to a Lerwick address following complaints of a heavily intoxicated man shouting, swearing and making threats. He was apprehended and detained in custody.

Police were called to an address in Lerwick at about 5am on Saturday following repeated complaints from neighbours about noise emitting from the house. Prior to this incident the police had attended the address on three previous occasions previously, but despite warnings, the occupants proceeded to play loud music to the annoyance of their neighbours.

As a result of this, police seized all noise making equipment within the house, before cautioning and charging the householder. A report is to be submitted to the procurator fiscal.

A police spokesman said: “It will come as no surprise to the public that most incidents which police deal with on a day to day basis are alcohol-fuelled and this has a direct consequence in terms of police visibility dealing with the aftermath of these offences, not to mention the victims this also creates.

“It is a strategic priority of Northern Constabulary to reduce incidents of anti-social behaviour and drink-fuelled violence, and as such police will robustly deal with such people committing these offences.

“Excessive consumption of alcohol is neither an excuse nor a defence for appalling and unacceptable behaviour and recent sentences handed down to perpetrators of these offences would suggest that the court takes a similar view.”