Sent back to jail after admitting supplying cannabis

A man has been sent to prison for five months after appearing in the dock at Lerwick Sheriff Court.

But the sheriff’s decision to send Ian George Mutch to custody stems from a previous offence.

The court heard Mutch, 25, of St Olaf Street, stole a rucksack and supplied cannabis on 2nd October.

The offence happened in a cabin onboard NorthLink’s Hrossey as she sailed from Aberdeen to Lerwick.

Mutch was later found with around 150 grammes of the Class B drug, worth almost £2,500.

The court heard Mutch had been released from prison weeks before committing the offence. Earlier this year he was handed a one-year sentence after admitting using someone else’s bank card to help feed a computer game addiction.

Defence agent Tommy Allan argued he had “no doubt” Mutch had been influenced by people he had met in prison.

“It’s through his association with them that he has been involved in this. He’s not somebody with a history of involvement in drugs,” the defence agent said.

Mr Allan said Mutch had not enjoyed being on remand, despite previously being ambivalent about being held in custody.

However, he said Mutch had accepted that he would most likely be returning to prison.

“He has pleaded guilty to being concerned in supply and the most likely outcome is he’ll go back to jail.”

Sheriff Philip Mann ordered Mutch be sent back to custody to serve the remainder of his previous sentence.

Sentence on the new complaints was deferred until after he is released again.

Sheriff Mann told Mutch: “It’s very seldom I would dispose of a case of this nature without imposing a custodial sentence. But I’m not going to make a decision on that today.”

Instead, he made a Section 16 return order in respect of Mutch’s previous custodial sentence.

Calling for an updated report, he ordered Mutch return to court on 28th March. Mutch was told to be of good behaviour.