‘Jekyll and Hyde’ character jailed for six months

A repeat offender was imprisoned for six months at Lerwick Sheriff Court today after admitting assaults and abusive and threatening behaviour in a police car on 17th January.

Owen Finbar Haughian , 32, of Hoofields, Lerwick, was given four months in custody for assaulting three people at addresses in Herrislea, Tingwall, and a further two months for threatening and abusive behaviour in a police car heading for Lerwick Police Station.

Haughian, who was described by Sheriff Philip Mann as a “Jekyll and Hyde” character, admitted assaulting a man by pushing him on the body at Herrislea, assaulting another man at Herrislea Court by striking him on the body and assaulting a woman at Herrislea Hill by punching her on the head, seizing her arm and dragging her.

The police arrested Haughian at Veensgarth where he behaved in a threatening and abusive manner and banging his head on the back window of a police car on the way to Lerwick Police Station and calling one police officer a “Paki”.

Tommy Allan, defending, said that Haughian had managed to behave himself while under a curfew, but there was no explanation for his “insulting and bizarre” behaviour once out of the curfew when he began to drink. He was nonetheless ashamed of his behaviour.

“No-one has got to the bottom of what makes him issue these racist comments when drinking too much,” said Mr Allan.

Mr Haughian was aware of his “difficulty with alcohol” and was prescribed strong anti-depressants. He had a good reference from his employer and the restriction of his liberty was effective in controlling his behaviour.

Sheriff Mann said: “This is in some ways a tragic case if you are a Jekyll and Hyde character.”

But he said that Haughian had had a variety of non-custodial disposals in the past – fines, community payback orders and restriction of liberty – but “none of that appears to have got the message through to you about how you must behave in a civilised society… there is no alternative to a custodial sentence.”

Haughian’s two prison sentences were to run consecutively. He is on trial for another offence on 25th June.