Skeld man jailed for four months

A SKELD man was jailed on Monday for four months for a series of offences, including forcing entry into a house and climbing into a 16 year old girl’s bed.

Darren Gray, 20, appeared from custody at Lerwick Sheriff Court after he breached his probation.

Gray had been granted bail and had his sentence deferred last month for three offences committed between November 2006 and April 2007 – which also included a breach of the peace and stealing lobsters.

He was allowed to leave Shetland to attend a drug rehabilitation centre in the Borders at the start of this month but absconded within 24 hours, saying he was going to Aberdeen.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said Gray had found it difficult to cope with being at the rehabilitation centre and that he had suffered from nicotine withdrawal.

Once he arrived in Aberdeen, Gray was arrested and admitted to possessing a knife. He is due to be sentenced for that offence at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on 31st July. He was detained at Craiginches Prison after being refused bail.

Sheriff Graeme Napier told Gray, who has a serious heroin problem, that “to say you have been given every opportunity by this court … is stating the blindingly obvious” and sentenced him to three months’ detention for getting into bed with the teenage girl. He also imposed two one-month sentences for the other two offences, which will run concurrently.