Pair fined after denying causing fear or alarm

Lerwick Sheriff Court. 

Two men who denied causing fear or alarm to a couple when they turned up at their house to “confront” them at night were fined at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Thursday.

Grant Redfern, 34, and Kyle Drummond, 25, of Wester Skeld, pleaded not guilty to causing Elaine Hepburn and Magnus Burgess fear or alarm when they turned up at their remote house in Quendale on 4th October 2020.

The court heard that Redfern, of Quoys Road, Lerwick had become enraged after hearing allegations about Mr Burgess, who is related to him, and had set off for Quendale with four others in a car close to midnight.

Redfern and Drummond alleged they had been chased away from the property by Mr Burgess and Ms Hepburn who were wielding pitchforks, while Mr Burgess and Ms Hepburn alleged that the pair had thrown a bottle at the house and dislocated Ms Hepburn’s finger in an altercation.

Witness Lee Graham, who had driven the group down to Quendale, said it had felt like a “hostile situation” in the car.

But Redfern said he had just wanted to speak to Mr Burgess about the allegations he had heard.

He admitted under cross-examination from procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie that he had been “angry” when they left for Quendale, but added: “I’m angry about it the whole time.”

Drummond’s defence agent Liam McAllister argued that his client’s role had been to calm down Redfern, and that he had repeatedly asked him to turn back.

In closing, Mr MacKenzie argued the pair had travelled a “considerable distance” from Lerwick and said their “intention was hostile”.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank found the pair guilty of causing Mr Burgess and Ms Hepburn fear and alarm by turning up at their house in the hours of darkness, behaving in a threatening or abusive manner and throwing a bottle at them.

The sheriff fined Redfern £840 and Drummond £520.