Our reporters have been sitting in courtrooms across the north and north-east this week and covered a wide variety of cases.
Top lawyer accused of New Year’s Day assault
A north-east lawyer has appeared in court accused of assaulting his partner at a luxury hotel in Aberdeenshire on New Year’s Day.
Alexander Hutcheon appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court facing an allegation he assaulted her at the plush Meldrum House Hotel on the outskirts of Oldmeldrum.
It is understood the alleged incident took place on New Year’s Day following the hotel’s annual Hogmanay Tartan Ball dinner.
Man jailed after threating to ‘slash faces’ at the Kirkwall Ba’
A man has been jailed after he threatened to slash faces and “slit a man’s jugular” at the Kirkwall Ba’ on New Year’s Day.
Ross Stevens had previously been spotted hitting lampposts and lying in the road where the traditional Orkney street game was about to be played.
After loudly voicing his threats while spectators – including children – gathered in the streets, Stevens was surrounded by members of the public who kept him away from the game until police arrived.
Drunken football fan tipped out of wheelchair during Union Square struggle
A drunken football fan was tipped out of his wheelchair during a late-night struggle with security guards and police at Union Square.
Peter Lawrence had hit the drink after watching Aberdeen’s 1-0 win against Dundee United – but missed the last train home to Stonehaven.
The 38-year-old managed to get into Union Square, next to the train station, at 4.30am, but was asked to leave by security.
Teen girl denies school friend abducted her on 134-mile road trip
Concerned parents contacted police when they suspected their teenage daughter had been abducted by a former fellow school pupil and driven 134 miles to the Highlands.
But a trial at Inverness Sheriff Court heard that Kirsten Munn, now aged 18, had gone willingly with 17-year-old Joshua Moody on March 13 last year because she was “bored.”
However, she told Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald that she became “worried” when Moody, now also aged 18, had taken her mobile phone off her because she was using it too much on the journey.
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Man, 64, admits sexually assaulting teenager on Highland bus
A 64-year-old man who stroked a teenager’s thigh as she sat next to him on a bus has admitted sexual assault at Tain Sheriff Court.
Duncan Morrison had signalled the 15-year-old to sit in an empty seat beside him and asked where she lived before touching her leg.
When he began to move his hand up her thigh, the girl looked about “panicked” and another passenger stepped in, shouting at Morrison to stop.
Aberdeen man tried to drag female paramedic from ambulance
A man found unconscious in an Aberdeen street tried to drag a female paramedic out of an ambulance and ripped her clothing when she tried to help him.
Cameron McGrath was found lying on Victoria Road in Torry by armed police officers who summoned an ambulance to assist.
But when the 32-year-old woke up on a stretcher in the ambulance, he tore off the medical equipment, jumped out of the vehicle’s side door and tried to drag one of the paramedics with him.
Attacker who targeted girlfriend and her pensioner mum facing jail
A man who assaulted his girlfriend and her 79-year-old mother has been warned he may face jail.
Ian Docherty launched an attack on his partner after an argument at her mother’s Alness home.
But when the elderly woman attempted to intervene he sent her “flying” across the room with a push.
‘Devious’ woman tricked buyers with ‘kittens for sale’ scam
A fraudster who advertised kittens for sale online has been ordered to pay compensation after the prospective pet owners discovered it was a scam.
Vicki Clinton, 34, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where she admitted placing an ad on a Royal Deeside Facebook community page claiming she had kittens for sale.
Over nearly five months, nine people were taken in by the scheme, paying deposits that totalled £470.
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Every day our reporters are sitting in courtrooms around the area and now you can get their stories sent directly to you, five days a week.
Armed police swoop after man seen wielding sword
An Aberdeen couple were woken in the middle of the night by their drunken neighbour shouting and swearing in the stairwell – while wielding a sword.
Kyle O’Neill had been on an alcohol and drug binge when he took to the communal stairwell of the Bucksburn block of flats in the early hours of the morning.
Startled neighbours were woken by his shouts and screams, but their shock quickly turned to terror when they looked outside and saw he was holding the large weapon.
Jail for man who hounded ex and threatened to slit her new partner’s throat
A man who hounded his ex with repeated phone calls and threats to slit her new partner’s throat has been jailed for 10 months.
Ross Duncan was “unable to accept the relationship was over” after he split from his partner.
When the woman went on a date with a new partner, Duncan confronted the pair and threatened violence towards the other man.
Man assaulted paramedic after drunkenly falling down stairs at KFC
A man assaulted a paramedic who arrived to help him after he fell down the stairs at a KFC in Aberdeen.
Neil Alexander Duncan appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted assaulting the medic and also a police officer when he drunkenly caused a scene in the Aberdeen city centre branch of the fast-food chicken chain.
It was stated that Duncan, 57, struck the paramedic on the chest with his arm and kicked a police officer to the knee as they tried to help him.
Elgin woman’s fake puppy scam
A pregnant Elgin woman has been sentenced to six months of good behaviour after taking £1,300 in a fraudulent puppy scam.
Expectant mother Kaitlyn Brown, 23, failed to appear at Elgin Sheriff Court to hear her sentence having sent in a sick note to the sheriff.
The court heard Brown had previously pled guilty to the con, which took place over two weeks last January.
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