Buckie fisherman fined £1,060 for assaulting police officers

A fisherman who assaulted and struggled with police officers in a drunken rage was given a hefty fine at Lerwick Sheriff Court.

Gary Moray Dunbar, 33, of Buckie, was fined £1,060 and ordered to pay £400 in compensation after hitting out at officers Jonathan Mustard and Lisa Carney.
Sheriff Graeme Napier was told Dunbar threatened to kill the officers and “rid the world of filth”.

It eventually took three officers to subdue him before he was taken into custody. The incident happened in the early hours of Thursday morning in Mounthooly Street.

The court heard a householder contacted the police after noticing somebody trying to force their way into the house.

Officers attended and found Dunbar at the rear of some flats. He took off but stopped after dropping his mobile phone, allowing the pursuing officers to catch up with him.

Procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie said Dunbar was “extremely agitated” and “had the appearance of being intoxicated on drugs”. “He was literally foaming at the mouth,” he added.

Constable Mustard tried to handcuff Dunbar, but he “struck out”, hitting him on the nose and mouth area.

He then turned on the female officer, grabbed hold of her clothing and threw her to the ground and up against a wall.

Dunbar left as Constable Carney radioed for assistance, however the police officers went after him and took hold of him again.

“At this point he was shouting he was going to rid the world of filth and kill them,” said Mr MacKenzie.

A third officer arrived and they were able to calm him down. However Constable Mustard had to go to hospital to be treated for dizziness and vomiting. Constable Carney, meanwhile, had sustained bruising.

Defence agent Chris Dowle said Dunbar had been drinking heavily at the Thule Bar after his vessel was forced to come into port because of bad weather. He said the father of three put his behaviour down to the alcohol he had consumed.