Our reporters have been sitting in courtrooms across the north and north-east this week and covered a wide variety of cases.
Man in court after threatening to shoot Aberdeen bar worker
A man threatened to shoot a woman during an aggressive outburst at the Three Lums pub in Aberdeen.
Wieslaw Kaczorowski made the terrifying threat towards a 63-year-old female employee at the Sheddocksley pub on Lewis Road.
He also acted in an aggressive manner towards the woman, by shouting, making threats of violence and threatening gestures.
The incident happened on January 20 last year.
Man jailed over ‘out of the blue’ attack on ex-girlfriend
A man has been jailed after a brutal street attack upon his former long-term partner that left her curled up on the pavement in the foetal position in Aberdeen.
Rhyan Kelly, 23, approached the woman as she left her home and assaulted her without warning when she became frightened and pulled out her mobile phone to call police.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard Kelly grabbed the woman before pushing her to the ground and savagely kicking her to the head and body.
Drug gang member ordered to hand over ill-gotten gains
A drug trafficker who was snared in a police operation against a county lines gang agreed to hand over more than £6,500 to settle a proceeds of crime action today.
Kym Martin, 36, was jailed for four and a half years last year after he was convicted of Class A drugs offences and the Crown brought proceedings to seize crime profits from him.
Martin, currently a prisoner in Glasgow’s Barlinnie jail, appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh today before judge Lord Lake and confirmed that he was not opposing the terms of an order sought against him.
Bid to recover some of crooked nan’s £1.5m embezzled fortune
Prosecutors have gone to court to force a crooked Aberdeen granny to return some of the £1.5 million fortune that she embezzled from her employer.
Crown lawyers want to recover some of the money that Coleen Muirhead, 56, pocketed while she worked at a scrap metal merchant between June 2015 and October 2021.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how she indulged in expensive holidays and bought cars and caravans after stealing money over six years from Panda Rosa Metals.
Scissor-wielding ‘Jekyll and Hyde character’ jailed
A man who provoked a stand-off with armed officers when he was seen in Aberdeen city centre while brandishing scissors in either hand has been jailed.
Kevin McCabe was seen on Union Street waving the scissors about over his head while shouting at members of the public, who feared the 39-year-old planned to do them harm.
Armed police officers were called to the scene and drew their taser guns, forcing McCabe to surrender, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
Man who racked up 53 jail sentences given chance to behave
An Aberdeen man who has racked up 53 prison sentences has been given a chance by a sheriff to prove he can behave himself.
John Fargher found himself back in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he pled guilty to his latest offences involving a disturbance with police officers at Promenade Court in the city.
But rather than handing the 41-year-old yet another jail term, Sheriff Rory Bannerman opted for a different approach.
He said: “Fifty-three times the courts have sent you to the jail.”
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Racist thug abused ice cream man before attacking him with rock
A man who racially abused an Aberdeen shopkeeper before coming back to attack him with a rock has avoided a prison sentence.
Angus Hughes appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted verbally abusing the man in Rosemount – telling him to “go back” home and uttering a homophobic slur.
The 27-year-old returned moments later with a rock and threw it at the man, breaking his finger in a number of places.
His solicitor said Hughes had been suffering with his mental health at the time.
Domestic abuser jailed over terrifying threats
An Inverness man who terrorised his ex-partner and threatened to burn down the house with her two children inside has been jailed.
Liam McIntosh also turned up at the woman’s Smithton home armed with an axe and a hammer and said he would use one of the weapons to harm any police officer who came near him.
The 33-year-old has now admitted two charges of threatening behaviour and one of assaulting his partner by pushing her on the body and repeatedly lunging towards her.
Woman sexually assaulted by stranger on Aberdeen bus
A man has been placed on the register after admitting sexually assaulting a stranger on a bus in Aberdeen.
Karol Kliszewski boarded the 172 bus and sat behind the woman, who was with a friend.
The 41-year-old’s strange behaviour began with untying the woman’s shoelace before he fist-bumped her.
But as he stood to get off the bus, Kliszewski kissed the shocked passenger on the mouth.
More jail time for ‘appalling’ north-east drug dealer from Liverpool
A three-time convicted drug dealer has been jailed for another five years after being caught on a fourth occasion with more than £1,000 worth of cocaine and heroin.
Rhyan Kelly, 23, was arrested after police found him with illegal substances worth £1,070 at a friend’s house in Fraserburgh, on October 23 2023.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard detectives also discovered that he was carrying £1,530 in cash in a pocket on his trousers.
Man admits domestic abuse of ex whilst also hurling his dog to floor
An Aberdeen man has admitted abusing his ex and hurling his dog to the ground during an argument last year.
Stephen Calder did not appear at Peterhead Sheriff Court to hear his sentence but pled guilty to two charges of domestic abuse.
The 67-year-old pensioner, whose address was given as Balnagask Circle in Aberdeen, had been in a relationship with the woman for four years at the time of the argument.
New inquiry begins into sexual harassment allegations against suspended Aberdeen sheriff
A fresh tribunal is underway to investigate sexual misconduct allegations against Aberdeen sheriff Jack Brown.
The sheriff, who has been suspended on full pay for more than five years, is accused of behaving inappropriately towards a female lawyer.
This week a behind-closed-doors disciplinary hearing, called by former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, began hearing evidence.
It comes after the decision of an earlier tribunal was quashed following a judicial review.
Serial drink-driver who crashed into bus banned from the roads
A repeat drink-driver who ploughed into a bus has been handed a significant road ban.
Dibu John, 37, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted driving while more than three times the legal alcohol limit.
The court was told he collided with a bus at the junction between North Anderson Drive and the Lang Stracht before driving his mangled Nissan Juke for a mile back to his home.
Nightmare neighbour tormented residents with sectarian songs
A nightmare neighbour’s two-year campaign of harassment has landed him in court.
Philip Jones tormented residents in Inverness’ Morning Field Place by playing loud sectarian songs as well as damaging a fence and sending abusive text messages.
Appearing at Inverness Sheriff Court, the 53-year-old admitted a single charge of causing his neighbours fear or alarm during a series of incidents that took place between June 2021 and May of last year.
Jones spoke only to confirm his guilty plea at the short hearing.
Man found with axe in his bag is jailed
A man caught wandering the streets of Aberdeen with an axe in his backpack has been jailed – with a sheriff describing his actions as “extremely troubling”.
Graham Lauder, 30, was stopped by police in the Sheddocksley area of the city when he was seen to be heavily under the influence of a substance while walking with a friend.
When officers searched his rucksack they found a wooden handled hand axe, which Lauder claimed he “didn’t know” why it was in his possession.
Man accused of plot to kill former Aberdeen prosecutor
A man who allegedly hatched a dark web plot to murder a former Aberdeen prosecutor will not be able to represent himself at trial.
A judge at the High Court in Glasgow informed accused Martin Ready that he was appointing a lawyer to act on his behalf.
Ready, 40, is charged with teaming up with others on a website called Online Killers Market to target procurator fiscal Darren Harty.
Moray serviceman’s domestic abuse trial deserted by prosecutor
A prosecutor has deserted the trial of a Moray serviceman who was accused of abusing his partner over a four-month period.
Reece Hume, 25, pled not guilty at Elgin Sheriff Court on Monday and the procurator fiscal then deserted the case pro loco et tempore.
It means court action is temporarily deserted but the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s case remains active and Hume could still be prosecuted in the future, unless the matter is dropped altogether.
Racist hurled pot of paint at stepdad’s car
An unruly house party guest who took violent retribution against the hosts when he was thrown out for being too drunk has been jailed.
Scott Mercer punched another man in the face and then hurled a paint pot at his own stepdad’s car during the confrontation at a property in Aberdeen.
The city’s sheriff Court was told Mercer’s crimes didn’t stop there.
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Man cleared of murdering Oldmeldrum grandad
A man was today cleared of the murder of a grandad in Oldmeldrum almost a decade ago.
Tristan Simpson has been on trial at the High Court in Aberdeen accused of killing Bob Parks on May 3 2014 by throwing him down stairs at a property on Coutens Place in the village.
The 46-year-old had denied murder and has now had his name cleared as a jury took just 70 minutes to reach a majority not guilty verdict.
Teen called police mid-way through 26-mile chase
A disqualified Highland teen driver who led police on a dangerous 26-mile high-speed chase called officers mid-pursuit to try to negotiate a deal – and claimed his brakes were not working.
A sheriff today told Duncan Maclennan it was a “miracle” he didn’t kill anyone after hearing how the young dad hit speeds of 86mph on snow-covered Highland roads.
For that reason, Sheriff Gary Aitken said, there was no option other than a custodial sentence for the 19-year-old, who has a poor record of previous motoring offences.
Man accused of taking Stonehaven women hostage ‘likely’ to be acquitted
A man accused of abducting two women in Stonehaven and threatening to kill them is likely to be acquitted as he suffers from a mental disorder.
Martynas Kulvinskas appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where it was revealed doctors had deemed the 32-year-old fit to stand trial but “not criminally responsible” at the time of the alleged offences
Based on this assessment, fiscal depute Lucy Smith invited Sheriff Christine McCrossan to acquit Kulvinskas of the three charges he faces.
‘Offensive’ joke sees Inverurie man strike friend with Tennent’s glass
A man smashed a Tennent’s pint glass over his friend’s head leaving him permanently scarred when the pair got into a fight over an offensive joke, a court has heard.
John-Peter Barnes appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted violently assaulting his friend with the lager glass.
The 24-year-old made a joke that offended his friend and when Barnes was challenged about it he pounced on his pal and smashed the glass over his head.
Man who brought nearly £200,000 worth of drugs to Inverness behind bars
A drugs courier has been jailed after being caught in Inverness with nearly £200,000 worth of cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy inside an Aldi shopping bag.
Officers who stopped a blue Audi A3 found more than a kilogram of high-purity cocaine inside the bag behind the passenger seat where Marc Forsyth was sitting
The carrier bag also contained two packages of cannabis worth up to £14,116 and more than 900 ecstasy tablets with a potential street value of £13,755.
Forsyth, 23, had denied charges of being concerned in the supply of the class A and B drugs.
Married man jailed for raping teenager near popular Oban music venue
A married barman who attacked and raped a teenager close to a popular Oban music and wedding venue was jailed for five years today.
Anouar Ben Said, 36, forced the victim to the ground, pulled down her clothing and molested her during the ordeal at an area of ground near the Corran Halls car park.
Off-duty hotel worker Ben Said struck after the 19-year-old left a bar where she had met colleagues for drinks on August 31 in 2021.
After the sex attack, the distraught teenager was found in a state of distress.
Former Aberdeen advocate jailed over historic sex assaults on two boys
A former advocate convicted of indecently assaulting two schoolboys more than 20 years ago has been jailed.
Mark Strachan, 64, was found guilty following a trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court of two charges of sexually touching the teenage brothers between 1999 and 2001 at two addresses in the city.
A jury found him guilty by majority verdict on both charges on November 17 last year.
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