Weekend court roll – a rogue trader and 15-year-old murder accused

Our reporters have been sitting in courtrooms across the north and north-east this week and covered a wide variety of cases.

Man spared jail after threatening behaviour towards new mum

A man who turned up drunk at a new mum’s door demanding to be allowed in has been handed unpaid work in the community.

Sandon Urquhart told the woman “open this door in 10 seconds or I’m coming through”.

He was later spotted on a Ring doorbell camera outside her home, in breach of bail conditions to stay away from her.

Urquhart, 25, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court for sentencing having previously admitted two charges of threatening or abusive behaviour, one of breaching his bail conditions and another of breaching a court-imposed curfew.

Aberdeen pensioner, 71, bombarded ex with chilling threats

A 71-year-old woman has been fined in court after bombarding her ex with chilling threats and warning her to “get the hell out of Aberdeen”.

Grace Porter split with her partner of 26 years in 2020 and has now been hit with a court order to stay away from the woman following her troubling behaviour.

Porter branded her ex a “spastic” and told her to “look out” as she was making “arrangements”.

She also told the woman that, if she went to the police, she would be “mince” and urged her to leave Aberdeen.

Abusive Aberdeen man claims he was talking about meatballs not being homophobic

A man who went on a foul-mouthed rant at police officers tried to claim he was referring to the “Welsh delicacy” faggots, not the homophobic slur.

Stuart Cooke flew into a vitriolic rage when told he was to be kept in custody for an unrelated matter and let rip with an expletive-ridden verbal onslaught.

During the rant, the 33-year-old used the homophobic slur towards officers and was charged as a result.

Cooke protested his innocence by claiming he had been talking about meatballs known as faggots – traditionally made from pigs’ hearts and other offal.

Five men in court after police seize more than £1.2 million of cannabis

Five men have appeared in court after more than £1.2 million of cannabis was seized in police operations around the north-east.

Officers raided a property near Turriff last week and discovered what they described as a “large-scale” cannabis operation worth an estimated £1.1 million.

Following the Auchterless operation, 38-year-old Nerijus Jurgaitis was taken into custody and charged with drug offences.

He appeared in private at Aberdeen Sheriff Court facing charges of being concerned in the production and supply of drugs.

Boy, 15, accused of murdering Elgin bus driver Keith Rollinson

A 15-year-old boy has appeared in court charged with the murder of Elgin bus driver Keith Rollinson.

Keith, 58, died in hospital after the incident at Elgin’s bus station on Friday night.

Emergency services were called to Elgin bus station in the St Giles Road area at around 10.40pm following reports of an assault.

This afternoon, a 15-year-old boy – who cannot be named for legal reasons – appeared in private at Elgin Sheriff Court charged with murder.

The youngster made no plea and was committed for further examination.

Man given football ban after mass brawl with Aberdeen and Rangers fans

A Rangers fan has been banned from attending football matches after being part of a brawl with Dons fans before a game in Aberdeen.

Blain Lang, 25, was at the Saltoun Arms pub on Frederick Street when it was “attacked” by a group of Aberdeen supporters and a mass brawl broke out.

Rangers supporters streamed out of the bar and running battles took place in the surrounding streets, in the course of which, Lang pushed a male to the ground.

Now Sheriff Lindsay Foulis – who himself attended Pittodrie last Tuesday evening as a Dundee fan – has banned Lang from all stadiums in the UK and hit him with a hefty fine.

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Man ordered to pay police officer £50 compensation for tripping her up

A man has been ordered to pay a female police officer £50 compensation after he tripped her up on an Inverurie street.

Raimonds Priskurels lashed out at the officer when she tried to intervene and keep the peace during a “disturbance” on West High Street.

The 42-year-old had been assaulting the other male and so was restrained by police but managed to kick out and trip up the officer.

But now, Priskurels has been ordered to pay both his victims compensation.

White van man blocked supercars from overtaking on NC500 – then crashed into McLaren

A white van driver who tried to “police” the actions of a convoy of supercars on the NC500 found himself in the dock after crashing into one of them.

Jason Webber swerved his white Nissan van onto the opposite carriageway to stop the high-performance vehicles overtaking him on the A832 near Loch Maree.

But the delivery man’s “obnoxious” actions ended up causing an accident when he accelerated into the path of a McLaren as it attempted to pass him by.

Webber, 49, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit a single charge of careless driving on April 5 of last year.

Young driver caught drug-driving after crash involving motorbike

A young driver has been banned after admitting drug-driving and causing an accident last year involving a motorcyclist and his passenger.

Nathan Christie, 20, appeared in Elgin Sheriff Court to stand trial for dangerous driving and drug driving, but a last-minute plea bargain saw the charges being dropped for the former.

Christie admitted taking cannabis before getting behind the wheel of his blue Seat Ibiza on March 25 last year.

A blood test showed he was slightly over the limit with 2.5mg being recorded.

Victim’s relief as sinister and unrelenting stalker finally jailed

An Aberdeen woman who was preyed upon by a sinister stalker has spoken of her relief now that he is finally behind bars.

Scott Emslie tormented and terrorised Catherine Tiphanie and sprayed vile abuse over her car during his months-long campaign of psychological abuse.

Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard how Emslie had already been under an 18-month court order to stay away from Ms Tiphanie but waited for it to expire before stalking her night and day.

Ms Tiphanie, 55, said Emslie simply “counted down the days” for the non-harassment order to run out before he walked into a sauna at her gym and tried to strike up a conversation like nothing had happened.

Man disfigured in bottle assault but has ‘no ill feelings’ towards attacker

An argument at a post-New Year house party turned into a street fight that left one man permanently disfigured, a court has heard.

Sean McAllister had been drinking with his victim on January 2 last year, but when the pair began to argue they were asked to leave.

Once outside a fight began, during which McAllister took a bottle from his opponent and hit him with it before punching the man in the face as he lay motionless in the street.

Despite the brutal attack, Inverness Sheriff Court was told McAllister’s victim has “no ill feelings” towards him.

Knifeman’s jail warning over failed Aberdeen shop robbery

A would-be robber is facing a prison sentence after a failed knifepoint robbery at an Aberdeen corner shop.

Robert Michie armed himself and burst into L&M Stores on Hutcheon Street brandishing the weapon.

The 30-year-old demanded the shop assistant give him money.

But not only did Michie come away empty-handed, but he is now almost certain to find himself behind bars over the ill-judged robbery bid.

Violent ex-boyfriend attacked woman before using n-word about her new partner

A man has been jailed after he attacked his ex-girlfriend in an unprovoked violent assault.

Ricky Forrester appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted brutally punching and kicking his former partner while she was on the ground.

It was stated that the 30-year-old only halted his attack when he was interrupted by the woman’s child, who shouted at him to “get off” her mum.

Forrester, who has a long list of previous convictions, then used the n-word and told the woman her new boyfriend was “getting it”.

Dangerous serial child sex attacker who targeted victims in playparks jailed for three years

A dangerous serial child sex attacker who inflicted “incalculable psychological damage” on young schoolgirls has been jailed for three years.

One of Warren Maclean’s four victims was just eight years old when he grabbed her at a play area behind St Valery Avenue, Inverness, and pulled to the ground.

She managed to struggle free but just a week later, on April 11 2023, the 47-year-old targeted a second child.

He seized a 10-year-old girl in a nearby park at Dalneigh and asked her if she wanted to see his penis. He then pulled down his trousers and underwear and exposed himself.

Stabbing victim jailed for ‘exacting revenge’ through street attack

A man has been jailed after he carried out a violent street attack as an act of “revenge”, a court has heard.

Martin Dossett, 39, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted assaulting his victim before stealing his bag and bicycle.

It was stated that Dossett had been stabbed in the leg by his victim only weeks before – but he had decided to wait and get revenge rather than contact the police.

Fiscal depute Alan Townsend told the court that at around 7pm on August 27 last year Dossett’s victim got on his silver Giant bike and cycled to a shop in North Street, Inverurie, where he used the cash machine.

Banff man found guilty of coercive control and domestic abuse

A Banff man has been found guilty of domestic abuse in what was described as a seven-year campaign of coercive controlling behaviour.

Stuart Nedley, 33, denied two charges of coercive control and threatening behaviour, which included hiding house keys so his partner was effectively locked inside.

The court heard the couple had been in a relationship for a decade and have three children together.

The woman, who is not being named, gave evidence to say Nedley would “get aggressive” with her whenever she was going about basic household tasks.

Banff man cleared of hitting 87-year-old woman with his car

A Banff man has been cleared of hitting an 87-year-old woman with his car and then fleeing the scene.

Malcolm Chalmers’ not guilty plea was accepted by the Crown – however he did admit to crashing his vehicle into another car days earlier and refusing to stop.

The 49-year-old appeared in Banff Sheriff Court and pled guilty to careless driving on Banff Bridge on November 19 2022 and a charge of leaving the accident.

It had been alleged that Chalmers had also ploughed into the pensioner on November 24 while she was crossing the High Street and failed to stop or report the accident.

Masked man avoids prison after smashing up neighbour’s Ring doorbell

A man has been ordered to pay compensation after he donned a mask and smashed up his neighbour’s Ring doorbell with a hammer.

Paul Fairley appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted emerging masked from his house and taking a hammer to the woman’s doorbell camera.

When police arrived, Fairley, 51, punched one officer in his private parts.

Fairley – who had drunk one-and-a-half bottles of vodka at the time – then kicked another constable as he tried to put him in the back of a police vehicle.

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Elgin man who throttled partner branded ‘a danger to women’

A Moray man was branded “a danger to women” after being convicted of a two-year-long campaign of violence and abuse against his partner who was so badly assaulted she almost died.

Danny Douglass carried out the offences at a house in Anderson Drive, Elgin, between March 1, 2021 and February 23, 2023.

Douglass, who still protests his innocence despite a jury’s verdict, was jailed for a total of 30 months, backdated to March 27 when he was remanded in custody.

A 10-year non-harassment order was also imposed by Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald to protect the woman and her family.

Bus driver accused of assaulting passenger and driving over him

An Aberdeen bus driver has been charged with shoving a passenger off a bus and driving over him.

Allan Thomson, 59, is accused of placing the man’s life in danger by repeatedly punching, kicking and pushing him off a First Bus service in Dyce.

It is claimed in the charge the passenger was assaulted and dragged across the floor during the alleged altercation between the two men on October 23 2018.

It is further alleged that as the man lay on the ground, Thomson then drove the bus over the man which left him disfigured, badly injured and in danger of losing his life.

Aberdeen cannabis mule sprinted across A9 and hid in bush after police stop

A cannabis mule transporting £360,000 worth of the drug sprinted across four lanes of A9 traffic and hid from Perth police in a bush.

Officers stumbled on the 22kg haul when they pulled over Albanian duo Lulzim Musollari and Cezar Manciu at the Broxden roundabout.

The men parked in a layby and officers immediately smelled the enormous stash they were transporting from Aberdeen to Manchester.

While police carried out checks, passenger Manciu got out and ran across both carriageway lanes and hid in a field, a kilometre away from Musollari’s Kia Sportage.

Deacon Blue fan battered taxi driver outside McDonald’s

An Aberdeen engineering firm director battered a taxi driver and smashed up his vehicle with a fire extinguisher after a dispute at the end of a Deacon Blue gig.

Steven Beattie and his partner booked a taxi to take them home from the P&J Live concert but upset the driver firstly by being late and then insisting on a lengthy stop for food at McDonald’s.

After waiting for them for more than 20 minutes outside McDonald’s on Inverurie Road, the driver’s patience ran out and he demanded they pay up.

But Beattie, 50, flew into a violent rage, flooring the terrified driver with a dozen punches.

Conman roofer still at it despite being jailed for ripping off pensioners in 2016

A conman roofer is STILL working in the trade and threatening customers in Aberdeenshire – despite having been jailed for similar antics in the Highlands in 2016.

Rogue trader Frank Docherty – who lied to customers that his name was Tom – was abusive and threatening to pensioners while working for his dad’s firm, Granite Roofing Ltd.

The 30-year-old slater bombarded customers with phone calls demanding money, threatened to remove materials from their roofs, refused to leave without being paid and even denied receiving a payment of £10,000.

Aggressive Docherty also offered to drive one frightened pensioner to the bank to withdraw money to pay him.

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