Remanded five days after being granted bail

A young man has been remanded in custody at Lerwick Sheriff Court – having breached a bail order just five days after he was allowed his liberty.

Lee Hamilton, 19, was last week described as a “thorn in the flesh of the court”, but was granted bail on the understanding he abide by a curfew.

He had been chased through gardens by police after brandishing a piece of wood at revellers and was arrested when he became stuck on top of a high wall surrounding Lerwick Police Station.

Before then he had been seen by patrolling police officers walking towards a group of 15 people in Market Street waving a length of wood.

The group appeared alarmed by Hamilton and were shouting at him to leave them alone, last week’s court heard. But when Hamilton saw the police he threw the wood into a garden, climbed over a wall and attempted to flee, ignoring instructions to remain where he was.

Procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie added: “He kept going through the gardens until he found himself atop the wall of the police station yard and required the help of an officer to get him down.”

Tommy Allan, defending, said that Hamilton apologised for his behaviour and felt ridiculous for what he had done.

Sheriff Philip Mann said that Hamilton was a “young man virtually out of control with no sense of how to behave. You are a significant thorn in the flesh of the court and a significant risk to the people of Lerwick and its time you grew up and stopped acting like a two-year-old baby.”

Hamilton had pleaded guilty to charges of threatening behaviour, breach of the peace and attempting to pervert the course of justice while out on bail for other offences.

The sheriff said the word “custody” had been flashing through his mind but he adjourned the case till 2nd September for a criminal justice social work report. Hamilton was granted bail on the terms that he remain in his house between 7am and 7pm.

But today Hamilton was back in the dock, where he admitted breaching his bail on Monday, when he failed to answer his door to police.

The new offence was deferred until the previously-agreed date in September. The only remaining question was where Hamilton should be in the meantime.

Mr MacKenzie said Hamilton was currently subject to three separate bail orders.

“If he was released on bail he’d be on four separate bail orders, and I have to say that would be almost perverse – that the court would be accepting of someone being subject to four separate bail orders.”

Mr Allan admitted Hamilton was “not in a strong position” to be granted his liberty.

He said Hamilton had been staying at his girlfriend’s address in Sandveien, instead of his usual address at St Olaf Street from where, it had since transpired, he had been evicted.

Seeking for Hamilton to be bailed to the Sandveien address he said: “It may be against the run of play, but I’m instructed to ask for it”.

Honorary sheriff Eric Peterson, however, was not persuaded, and Hamilton was remanded.