Thurso man breached bail ‘to hand himself in’

Hugh McPhee was “fed up” with a curfew condition and decided to breach it, Sheriff Neil Wilson was told at Wick.

The 55-year-old left his home in Thurso outwith the terms of the 8pm - 6am bail order and travelled to Wick to hand himself in at the local police station, where he was promptly charged with breaching the order.

Wick Sheriff Court was told that the condition was attached to his bail, granted at Inverness Sheriff Court on November 12. McPhee appeared via a video link from prison and admitted breaching the order, as well as a record of offending.

Fiscal depute Grant McLennan said that four days later, at 2am, McPhee telephoned Wick police station saying he “didn’t wish to abide by the curfew any longer” and was going to hand himself in.

After confirming that the accused was in breach of his bail, police officers charged him and he was remanded.

John McColl had a slightly different version of events. He explained that, initially, McPhee had received information that the police were going to visit him to discuss “a certain matter”.

The solicitor continued: “When they didn’t appear, he was fed up waiting and he decided to go the police station and hand himself in.

“He grabbed some fish and chips on his way.”

Mr McColl suggested that a fine or an admonition might be an appropriate way for the sheriff to deal with the matter.

Sheriff Wilson took into consideration the time that the accused had spent on remand, and admonished him.