Man who turned aggressive in Posers told to leave Shetland

A man who brandished a bottle at door staff in a Lerwick nightspot has been given 48 hours to get out of the isles – unless he can prove he still has his job.

Gary Robertson, 32, of Boglemarts Street, Stevenston, Ayrshire, became aggressive while out drinking in Posers over the weekend, less than two days after arriving in Shetland.

He stood on stools and took off his shirt prompting a member of door staff to admonish him, telling him to put his shirt back on. But Robertson took exception to the command, demanding: “Make me.”

The doorman called a colleague over, and they both asked him to leave. But he grabbed a bottle from a nearby table and tried to break it on the floor. His plan was to then use the broken bottle as a weapon.

He was restrained by people who were with him, and he was “hustled” out of the nightclub. But door staff called the police, who found him nearby and arrested him.

Robertson admitted behaving aggressively, brandishing a bottle and then making threats when he appeared from custody at Lerwick Sheriff Court.

Procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie said: “He has only been in Shetland for the best part of 48 hours. He had too much to drink, and played the big man in front of his friends – dancing on stools with his shirt off.”

Defence agent Tommy Allan said Robertson, a scaffolding inspector, “very seldom” drank alcohol, and had no recollection of events. He had relied on the police to tell him what he had done, and was “embarrassed” and “ashamed”.

“He very seldom drinks, and readily accepts he had too much,” Mr Allan said.

The defence agent said Robertson had been taken into custody, and was now unsure whether he would be able to keep his job as a result of the offence.

“He is reliant on his job to support his family and pay his mortgage.”

Calling for background reports, sheriff Philip Mann imposed a special condition that Robertson leave the isles, unless he can prove to police he has steady employment in Shetland.

“If you do leave Shetland you are not to return, except for court appearances,” he said.

That prompted Robertson to ask how he would pay his way to the isles if he did not have a job.

Sheriff Mann told him: “It’s simply a question of you either accepting that condition or, if you are not prepared to accept it, you will be remanded. If, in the future, you don’t appear, then you will be forced to appear, and that’s not going to do you much good.”

Robertson’s case will call again on 8th July.