A woman who caused a disturbance involving a knife during a festive break in John O’Groats was jailed for six months at Wick Sheriff Court yesterday.
Sheriff Andrew Berry told Shikyra Henry that it was her second conviction involving a weapon and added that he could not see any realistic alternative to a custodial sentence.
Shikyra, 24, appeared from custody, having previously failed to return to court after admitting threatening or abusive behaviour and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
The offences occurred at one of Natural Retreats holiday lodges at the popular Caithness tourist attraction on Christmas Day.
Henry, who had travelled there from her home in Norman Road, Rugby, to “get a break from her troubles”, got into an argument with her brother and a friend.
She was then described as “going nuts” and began raking around in the lodge for a knife which she was seen to “wave about”.
Henry lashed out at the pair but was restrained. Police caught up with her walking along the A9.
Henry, who initially gave police officers a false name, was said to be a cannabis user, among other personal issues, and thought that celebrating Christmas in Scotland would help alleviate her stress.
She maintained she had no intention of hurting anyone at the holiday lodge but only wanted the knife to self harm and had, in fact, sustained an injury to one of her fingers.
Solicitor Laura-Jane Macnaughton said that Henry, a gemologist, fully appreciated the effect her behaviour had on those in her company.
Her remand, her first time behind bars, had been “a shock to her system” and was one she did not want to have to repeat.
The accused’s current relationship had ended and she now wanted to move on and put matters behind her.
Sheriff Berry, who saw a background report, observed that it contained convictions for assaults and failure to comply with court orders, one of which he had himself issued for the accused’s arrest, after she had failed to return to court.
The sheriff added that not only had Henry caused a disturbance, but had then tried to “avoid detection” by giving the police false details.