Fight with sister’s fiancé lands man back in jail after two weeks’ freedom
A man got into a fight to see if his opponent was of good enough character to marry his sister less than two weeks after being released early from prison.
Dale Henry, 28, of Nederdale, Lerwick, breached the peace at a house in Haldane Burgess Crescent on 1st August, having been granted his liberty on 19th July.He struggled with four police officers who attended the scene, injuring one of them by grabbing his throat. His unruly behaviour continued in a police van on its way to the Gilbert Bain Hospital and he carried on breaching the peace once the van had arrived there.
On Wednesday Henry was sentenced to 246 days behind bars after appearing from remand at Lerwick Sheriff Court. Procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie said police needed to use CS-spray during a “violent struggle” with Henry after being called to the house. “His life seems to be controlled by drink and drugs,” he said.
Mr MacKenzie said the man Henry was fighting with was engaged to marry his sister. “The accused, it would appear, was challenging this male to see if he was suitable, or of sufficient good character to marry his sister,” the fiscal said.
Defence agent Tommy Allan said witnesses were concerned that the police had been heavy-handed during the incident. He said “nothing would be lost” by following a suggestion contained in one of the background reports to put Henry on a drug testing and treatment order (DTTO).
“Clearly the people around him are very concerned about the way his life is taking at the moment,” Mr Allan said.
However, Sheriff Graeme Napier said Henry would need to be at liberty before he could consider a DTTO. “He’s out of prison for two weeks before doing this – two weeks! He doesn’t show any intention to me that he is at the stage he’s going to make a DTTO worthwhile.”
The sheriff told Henry: “My assessment is you are not at the stage in your life where you are ready to address these things seriously.”
Part of the prison term includes the balance of Henry’s previous sentence from which he was released early.
