Young Wick offender warned to kick drugs habit – or become a statistic
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A sheriff has warned a serial offender that he has to kick his drug habit or become a drug deaths statistic.
Jake More (20) is currently subject to a drugs treatment testing order imposed at Wick Sheriff Court, previously, when he admitted a charge of assault and several counts of smashing windows in Wick, and breaching a ban preventing him from harbouring vulnerable girls.
More was last week sentenced to two months at a young offenders institution for the assault he admitted.
David Barclay referred to a chance meeting between More and a woman, in Huddart Street, Wick, on November 2, last year. The fiscal said that there had been some ill feeling between them and continued: "Things escalated after some verbal exchanges and More punched [the woman]."
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis, reviewing More's catalogue of offences and his progress with his drugs testing treatment order, was told that police were trying to trace a vulnerable girl who had gone missing from a local authority home earlier in the year and received information that More was hosting a party and might be able to help the officers. They entered his home and found the missing girl.
Fiona MacDonald said: "More is aware of the position he is in and that he has to engage with the authorities" but she accepted that "actions speak louder than words".
The solicitor continued: "The accused has been on remand and does not wish to make the trip to young offenders again."
She added: "He requires to disassociate himself from his peers."
Referring to the danger of drugs, Sheriff Foulis told More: "It would cause your family incredible and understandable upset if you lost your life. Make not bones about it."
The sheriff added: "Maybe there is still time to do something with your life. Hopefully, when you finish your sentence the penny will have dropped and you will have taken a tumble to yourself."
The sheriff allowed the drug testing treatment order to continue and will review More's situation on January 26 and consider offences the accused has yet to be sentenced on, including the window smashing incidents.
