Our reporters have been sitting in courtrooms across the north and north-east this week and covered a wide variety of cases.
Hoaxer claimed killer clown attacked him with meat cleaver
A 999 caller who claimed he had been attacked by a cleaver-wielding killer clown in a Santa suit sparked a major armed police response.
Kieran Stephen said the sinister Santa had taken a swipe at him outside his Kemnay home – prompting no less than 18 police officers, including seven armed with guns, to race to his street.
However, it soon emerged Stephen, 21, had told a pack of lies and the killer clown was, in fact, just a neighbour dressed up for a Halloween party.
Man jailed after threatening to burn down foodbank
A man who threatened to burn down a foodbank when they refused to provide him with a parcel of groceries has been jailed.
Shaun Dunbar verbally abused a volunteer at his local community foodbank by calling her names and demanding: “I want my f****** parcel!”
The 54-year-old then told the woman he would “burn the building down” and continued to demand food, Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard.
Husband and wife who had indecent images of children spared jail
A couple who were caught with vile videos of children on their mobile phones have been spared jail after a sheriff accepted their explanation.
Ahmad Al Mahamid and Saosan Ghozlan’s mobile phones were seized during a raid on their Alness home following intelligence that suggested someone at the address may have been sharing indecent images online.
A cybercrime examination of the devices uncovered a number of indecent images of children on each, with both having category A videos – depicting the most severe forms of abuse.
‘Heartbroken’ pensioner died waiting for apology from thieving carer
A disabled woman with dementia was “heartbroken and stunned” by the betrayal of her carer who stole thousands of pounds from her.
Sarah Littlejohn took more than £6,000 from 89-year-old Elsie Stephen while she was acting as her carer.
Mrs Stephen died earlier this year without ever receiving an apology from the woman whom she “loved like family” and “would’ve done anything for”, her relatives said.
Drug-dealing former footballer must surrender £15K of ill-gotten gains
A former footballer who made more than £200,000 from drug dealing has been ordered to hand back over £15,000 under proceeds of crime laws.
Alasdair Finlayson, 26, was linked to cocaine and cannabis seized in the Highlands during a police anti-drugs operation.
It recovered drugs with a street value of more than £650,000.
Robber jailed for attacking helpless man with his own walking stick
A violent robber who repeatedly hit a vulnerable man with his own walking stick has been sent back to prison.
Steven Ross and another man assaulted and robbed the victim as he left his home at Hutcheon Court, Aberdeen, with a friend to walk her dog.
The pair had initially asked for cigarettes but when the man said he didn’t have any, Ross, 48, turned nasty and struck his face.
Jail for pair caught with drugs inside their bodies
A man and woman who were caught with more than £10,000 worth of cocaine, some of it hidden inside their bodies, have each been jailed for 18 months.
Calum Findlay, 55, had stashed the contraband up his bottom, while 63-year-old Carol Knox had drugs hidden inside her clothes and vagina.
In total, cocaine worth £10,500 was recovered, with both later admitting being concerned in the supplying of the class A drug.
Findlay and Knox appeared for sentencing at Inverness Sheriff Court.
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Woman, 82, left homeless after drug addict destroys house in fire
An 82-year-old woman has spoken of her heartbreak and anger at losing her home in a blaze which was started by a drug addict.
Adam McQuarrie caused almost £250,000 of damage after setting fire to the pensioner’s shed, which then spread to her home, leaving it “virtually destroyed”.
The OAP is now homeless and living in temporary accommodation without access to a garden or even her beloved dog, Inverness Sheriff Court was told.
Man in dock over alleged stabbing in Aberdeen
A man has appeared in court charged over the alleged stabbing of a 23-year-old in Aberdeen almost a month ago.
A man suffered serious injuries as a result of an incident on Kettlehills Crescent in the Northfield area of the city on June 10.
Liam King has now been charged and appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court in connection with the matter.
The 23-year-old, of no fixed abode, faced a charge of assault to severe injury and danger of life.
Man threatened to stab worker less than 24 hours after release from jail
A lout threatened to stick a dagger in the neck of a shop worker less than 24 hours after being released from custody.
Dale Davidson had been acquitted on a separate matter on Friday afternoon last week, but the very next day went into Dunelm on the Beach Boulevard in Aberdeen where he claimed to have suffered an injury.
When staff tried to help and get him an ambulance, the 37-year-old became aggressive, threatening to put a “dagger” in one employee’s neck.
Davidson then turned his aggression towards police and shouted homophobic abuse towards officers.
Man sent thumbs-up response to indecent image
A Dufftown man caught with indecent images of children on his mobile phone had sent a thumbs-up emoji to one when it was sent to him in a WhatsApp chat with other paedophiles.
Sergio Costa, 41, had images of children aged from three to 14, and two videos showing children aged between 10 and 14.
The files ranged from category A – the most severe – to category C.
Oil worker who stalked woman he met on plane ordered to stay away
An oil company geologist who stalked a woman he met on a flight from London to Aberdeen has been ordered to stay away from her.
Costel-Valeriu Ignat caused extreme distress by following the woman to her children’s school, an ice-skating rink and even to the airport as she disembarked from another flight.
Ignat met his victim on a previous flight as they worked in similar professions, with the woman offering to inform him of job opportunities at her firm.
Care home worker injured nurse during row about opening a window
A carer who injured a nurse during a violent row about opening a window is still working at the care home where she attacked her colleague.
Jolanta Gorska, 59, denied assaulting 38-year-old agency nurse Lorna Mackenzie while they worked together at Cameron House on Culduthel Road, Inverness.
But Gorska was found guilty of pushing, grabbing, and twisting Mrs Mackenzie’s hands to her injury after a trial at Inverness Sheriff Court.
Cruel thief stole mum’s ring as she lay in hospital after stroke
A woman has admitted stealing a ring from her own mother as she lay seriously ill in hospital following a stroke.
Victoria Stephen’s mum had been recovering in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary when the callous thief struck.
Hospital staff found Stephen, 38, grabbing her mother’s belongings before managing to make off with the jewellery, which the Crown said was worth £3,000, although this is disputed by the defence.
Daffodil picker’s dangerous near-miss with HGV on A92
A daffodil picker narrowly avoided a tragic collision with an HGV after a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre.
Alina Grisca crossed onto the wrong side of the A92 while trying to pass a queue of traffic – forcing a lorry coming the other way to slam on the brakes to prevent a head-on crash.
The 31-year-old had been in a hurry due to learning one of her children was unwell, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
Speeder told police upbeat music ‘got the better of his emotions’
An Aberdeen driver who took police on a high-speed chase before crashing his car has claimed that “upbeat” music on the radio “got the better of his emotions”.
Aiden Smith admitted driving at 90mph around a number of residential Aberdeen streets in his purple Mini Cooper before striking a kerb on Provost Rust Drive.
The 25-year-old left his Mini in an undrivable state after shattering his alloy wheel and bursting a tyre, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
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Muggers threatened to stab cyclist for his iPhone and passcode
Muggers pulled a cyclist from his bike in Inverness and threatened to stab him unless he handed over his mobile phone and passcode.
Together with another man, Calum Ross, 18, ran at his victim and dragged him to the ground before launching a vicious assault.
The pair repeatedly threatened to stab the stricken cyclist if he refused to hand over the iPhone 11 and the code to access it.
Attempted murderer jailed after night of brutal violence in Buckie
A violent thug who took part in a horrific murder bid before attacking a stranger in the street was jailed for six years today after a judge was told prison has “saved his life”.
Jay McIntosh, 22, carried out two brutal assaults in Buckie on the same night after amassing a series of previous convictions, including for crimes of violence.
McIntosh was freed under eight separate bail orders when he committed the attempted murder and an assault to severe injury and permanent disfigurement on September 2 last year.
Fake North Sea boss drained widow’s life savings
A lonely widow has lost her life savings to a cruel fraudster pretending to be the chief executive of a North Sea firm who had been badly injured in a hit-and-run incident.
The fake oil worker, who called himself Robert Vincent, began catfishing the 91-year-old pensioner from Ontario, Canada, via Instagram more than a year ago.
He disguised his identity by sending his victim images of Peter Marc Jacobson, a US television writer and producer who created the 1990s sitcom The Nanny and also appeared in episodes of Beverly Hills 90210 and Dynasty.
Extended sentence for makeshift flamethrower lout
A man who subjected his friend to a terrifying sustained attack involving a makeshift flamethrower has been handed an extended sentence after trying to “justify” his actions.
A jury took just 12 minutes to find Quincy De Gale, known as Bryce, guilty over the brutal assault on Michael Davidson in his own home on Berryden Road in the middle of the night.
Bryce battered Mr Davidson, 44, with a metal walking stick, stamped on his head and used a lighter and aerosol can to blast him with a “flamethrower”.
Man jailed over vicious cashpoint assault
A man has been jailed after a vicious assault at a city cashpoint.
Jonathon Sinclair knocked his victim to the ground with a punch and later kicked him in the face.
The man was left with cuts and bruises following the attack outside a Merkinch convenience store.
Pair facing court accused of endangering aircrafts with drones
A man and a woman are facing charges they “endangering aircraft” by flying drones in restricted areas near Aberdeen International Airport.
Scott Finnie, 35, and Caroline Ewen or Melvin, 40, face charges of culpable and reckless conduct over their alleged actions.
It is claimed the pair, on various occasions between July 11 and August 5 2020, at Cordyce School, Dyce, and elsewhere, operated “unmanned aerial vehicles” within the airport’s flight restriction zone.
Police called after man spotted with rifle on Highland beach
A man has admitted a firearms charge after he was spotted with an air rifle on a Highland beach.
Jamie Ross, 27, was seen holding and raising the weapon by a concerned passerby, who reported the incident to police.
When officers visited Ross they found he had no certificate for the firearm, which he handed over to them.
Man found guilty of sexually assaulting women and teenager
A man who was found guilty of sex offences involving two women and a teenage girl has been placed on the sex offender’s register.
Kris Neish was found guilty during a trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court of three sexual assaults involving intimate touching of females over the course of more than four years.
The 33-year-old was convicted of touching one woman’s private parts over her clothing while she was both awake and asleep and unable to give consent.
Neish, of Bayview Court, Aberdeen, additionally touched the woman’s leg.
Man abducted ‘terrified’ ex after breaching court order
A man who abducted his “terrified” ex-girlfriend by pushing her into a car and driving off has avoided a prison sentence.
Iain Kelly stormed into the home of his former partner, who immediately began hyperventilating as he was subject to a court order to stay away from her.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard Kelly, 40, then physically forced the woman outside and into his car before speeding off.
Cocaine dealer freed on bail to ‘prepare’ his daughter for jail
A man caught with £300,000 of cocaine asked for bail so he could spend the next month preparing his young daughter for his prison sentence.
Bryan Collum, 34, was arrested after police found him transporting large amounts of the drug between the north of Scotland, Airdrie and Lanarkshire.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how officers stopped Collum when he was driving a white Seat Leon on the A95 road in Drumuillie close to Inverness on July 21 2022.
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