Drug-fuelled student started cutting himself in neck
A student lashed out at an ambulance crew and assaulted a police officer in a drug-fuelled incident.
Emergency services were called after Alexander Wishart, 21, of Lerwick’s St Olaf Street grabbed a knife and started cutting himself in the neck.
Friends he was with at the address in Grodians became alarmed and fled the scene.
Ambulance staff arrived and tried to reason with Wishart, but they needed help from police before giving medical assistance.
Wishart continued to behave “erratically” once officers came to the scene, who saw him stabbing himself in the neck with a pencil. He then tried to strike a police officer with the pencil.
At Lerwick Sheriff Court yesterday Wishart, 21, of St Olaf Street, admitted brandishing the knife and repeatedly cutting himself during the incident on 15th May.
He also pleaded guilty to stabbing his own neck with the pencil, and attempting to strike a police officer with it.
Wishart admitted kicking out and struggling with the ambulance crew – who procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie said had to “bear the brunt” of his unruly behaviour.
“He has taken a controlled drug and the consequences of that are the charges libelled in the complaint,” he said.
Mr MacKenzie described Wishart getting a knife from the kitchen before beginning to cut himself.
“The others in the house flee. They became alarmed and left the emergency services to control him and pick up the pieces of his behaviour.”
“The ambulance staff arrived and they tried to reason with him but they require the assistance of the police before medical attention can be given to him.
“When police arrive they found him behaving erratically. They see him stabbing himself in the neck with a pencil.
“They have to confront a man who really is out of control.”
Defence agent Tommy Allan said Wishart had been distressed by the incident. He had had a lot to drink and had taken what he had been told was a “legal high”.
“Thereafter he has no recollection of this at all until he wakes up in hospital.”
He added Wishart was still scarred by the experience, both physically and mentally.
However Mr MacKenzie took issue with the defence’s claim that Wishart had taken a legal high. He said Wishart had taken acid, and had known he had taken an illegal substance.
Sheriff Philip Mann deferred sentence until 17th October. Wishart was ordained to appear.
