Brawl was a case of ‘drink in, wit out’, says fiscal

Drunken rowdiness in the town again came under the spotlight at Lerwick Sheriff Court today when a man was fined £325 for making a nuisance of himself and fighting.

Mark McCaul, 31, of Lincoln Court in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, breached the peace in Harrison Square on 30th September last year.

Procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie said none of those involved displayed particularly edifying behaviour.

He told the court the offence stemmed from an incident inside Posers when a woman believed a drink had been thrown over her, rather than accidentally spilled.

Those involved encountered one another outside and the dispute got out of hand when the verbal altercation became physical.

“This is another one of those incidents at the weekend where too much drink has been consumed by all parties concerned. Every one of the participants had some degree of culpability,” Mr MacKenzie said.

“It was a classic case of when the drink is in, the wit is out.”

Defence agent Mark Fallon said McCaul knew his behaviour at the time had been unacceptable.

Sheriff Philip Mann said it was yet another example of unruly behaviour following excessive drinking.

“I suspect Lerwick is not much different from many other towns in Scotland, but nevertheless it’s unacceptable behaviour.”