Man fined for drug possession

A man who failed to turn up to court five times for sentencing for drug possession has been fined £300.

Jordan McCafferty, 25, of Clydewynd, Greenock, appeared from custody at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Tuesday morning after handing himself into police on Sunday.

McCafferty had previously pleaded guilty by letter to possessing 0.3 grammes of ecstasy powder with an estimated value of £40 at the Douglas Arms bar on 30th October 2015.

Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said McCafferty, a pipe-fitter who is due to start a new job this week, had “provided a number of far-fetched excuses” for failing to appear in court five times since then.

One one occasion, his grandmother had died, while on another three dates, he had been working offshore. On a fifth occasion, he had been in Amsterdam and his flight had been cancelled.

Sheriff Philip Mann said that the amount of the class A substance was relatively small but the court had to take a serious view of the offence given his repeated failure to show up. He warned McCafferty that if the offence was in Shetland  “you come to court in Shetland”.