Our reporters have been sitting in courtrooms across the north and north-east this week and covered a wide variety of cases.
Jail for serial drink-driver who’d ‘had a few beers’
A former Inverness man has been jailed after he was caught drink-driving for the third time.
Anthony Rudman, 28, appeared in the dock at Inverness Sheriff Court where he admitted to being more than double the drink-drive limit when he struck a kerb and caused an accident involving another car.
A sheriff described Rudman’s driving that night as “appalling” as he sped along the A96 towards Nairn with a passenger in his car.
Drunk man sexually assaulted stranger in Aberdeen city centre
A man has been placed on the register after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a stranger in Aberdeen city centre.
Martin Cassidy was convicted, following a trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, of the disturbing attack on Bridge Street on November 6 2021.
The 51-year-old denied the offence.
Man caught with knife told police: ‘I need protection’
A man caught carrying a kitchen knife on the streets of an Easter Ross town told police: “I need protection”.
William Williamson, 24, was searched following a disturbance on Queen Street, Invergordon, in the early hours of the morning.
He made the statement to police in response to caution and charge after they found a kitchen knife in his jacket.
Drunk gym worker who smashed into tree told police: ‘Put me in a cell’
A repeat drink-driver whose car engine fell out after he smashed into a tree in rural Angus told police: “Put me in a cell.”
Jack Leslie’s car ended up 50 yards from where the engine had fallen out on impact.
The 38-year-old, of Laurencekirk, admitted drink-driving after returning a urine sample more than three times the limit (204mgs/ 67).
Man avoids prison after terrifying threats to ex
A man sent a series of terrifying messages to his ex-girlfriend warning her of a Russian attack on the UK and stating he wanted to see “blood everywhere”.
Harem Ahmedian, 39, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted sending repeated text messages to the woman in the six months following the end of their relationship.
It was stated that the 39-year-old made a number of threats against “white” and “English” people and warned of an imminent attack on the UK by a foreign entity.
Predatory sex pest claimed ‘women should not be walking around on their own’
A predatory sex pest who followed a stranger home and sexually assaulted her claimed “women should not be walking around on their own”.
Almeida Fernandes bought the woman a rose around 3am in the city centre before following the increasingly frightened woman and grabbing her by the waist.
The 43-year-old repeatedly told the woman “I come home with you”, despite her firm protestations and even continued to tail her when her boyfriend arrived to escort her home.
Boy, 16, in court accused of Buckie attempted murder
A 16-year-old boy has appeared in court on an attempted murder charge after a man was found seriously injured in Buckie.
The youth, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, is also charged with having an offensive weapon and a bladed article in a public place.
Police were called to the scene, near the harbour, at about 2.20pm on Monday afternoon.
Officers cordoned off the street between USA Nails & Spa and the Co-op.
Man who tried to convince undercover cop to send him indecent images branded a ‘beast’
A Ross-shire man who tried to solicit indecent images of children from an undercover police officer was branded a “beast” by onlookers when he appeared in court.
Paedophile David Murchison, from Muir of Ord, thought he was communicating with a like-minded mother of a young girl but it was a decoy.
During sickening conversations, which were described in Inverness Sheriff Court, Murchison graphically described the sexual abuse of children and requested the ‘mum’ send images of her daughter.
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Macduff chef ordered to pay compensation to love rival
A Macduff chef has been fined and ordered to pay compensation to a love rival after smashing his windscreen in a late-night car park confrontation.
Bradley Richardson, 25, appeared at Banff Sheriff Court to admit the charge of recklessly destroying the windscreen with a wrench.
The court heard Richardson had gone to confront his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend as they were parked outside Turriff Primary School on January 2 this year.
Fiscal depute Claire Stewart said Richardson had approached the couple at around 11.30pm.
Aberdeen mum jailed for attack on four police officers
An Aberdeen mum who had been warned by the court to behave has been jailed after she set about four police officers at the home of her ex.
Megan Ross, 32, burst into the Rosemount home of her former partner before turning violent and smashing up his kitchen after her demands to take her child were denied.
When police arrived, Ross assaulted four officers and hurled threats of violence and homophobic abuse.
Learner driver, 17, led police on high-speed chase
A 17-year-old boy led police on a dangerous high-speed pursuit through an Aberdeen city centre on a busy Saturday night.
Provisional licence holder Dexter Meachen took off when suspicious officers signalled him to pull over after spotting him idling at a roundabout.
The now 18-year-old sped around the city centre, putting late-night revellers in danger to such an extent that officers had to call off the pursuit.
Man caught with toy gun in Inverness admits firearms charge
A man caught with a toy gun on an Inverness street has admitted carrying an imitation firearm.
Alan Craig had contacted police himself concerned about threats to his life, Inverness Sheriff Court was told.
But when he met officers on Baron Taylor’s Street to discuss the issue, he told them he was going to start carrying knives because he felt unsafe.
Hearing this, police conducted a search of him and recovered the fake gun from his jacket pocket.
Benefits fraudster made up blind children to pay off drug debt
A dad who invented fictitious blind children to bolster benefits payments did so to pay off a drug debt.
Colin Taylor did have two real-life children but conned the Department of Work and Pensions by making up additional ones – and even claiming they were disabled.
Between February 3 2018 and April 3 2019, while living in Inverness, the 34-year-old fraudulently obtained more than £4,000 by taking advantage of the system designed to help those in need.
No jail for sextortion mum from who blackmailed cheating men
A Wick woman who had sex with two cheating men and threatened to tell their wives if they didn’t pay her money has been spared jail.
Kathleen Newlands put ‘Mr X’ in a state of fear and alarm by phoning him to threaten to tell his wife and family about their affair if he didn’t give her £5,000 of hush money.
The 34-year-old also attempted to extort £500 of cash from a ‘Mr Y’ when she called him to threaten to reveal photos of their tryst to the man’s wife and family.
Dons fan who showed toilet sex tape avoids being placed on sex offenders register
A Dons fan who filmed himself having sex with a woman in an Aberdeen pub toilet and then showed it to his friends has been told he will not be placed on the sex offenders register.
Kevin Joseph videoed a sexual tryst between himself and an unsuspecting woman in the Foundry bar and then showed it to his friends on a supporters’ bus to Edinburgh.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told how the 30-year-old produced his phone before playing the sex tape to shocked pals and other supporters before a match where Hibernian played host to the Dons.
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Former Aberdeen restaurant boss guilty of policewoman’s murder
A former Aberdeen restaurant boss has been convicted for the murder of a policewoman who was shot dead during an armed robbery.
Piran Ditta Khan, 75, fled the UK after the death of Pc Sharon Beshenivsky, 38, but was eventually put on trial two decades later after being extradited from Pakistan.
He planned the raid that killed the constable and severely wounded her colleague Pc Teresa Milburn, a jury at Leeds Crown Court was told.
Owner pleads guilty after Staffy bites cops at Covid house party
A man has admitted owning a dangerous Staffordshire Bull Terrier dog which bit two police officers who were breaking up an illegal Covid house party in Aberdeen.
Kevin McDonald owned the dog, Bella, when she attacked and sunk her teeth into two officers responding to a reported gathering at the height of the coronavirus lockdown.
A number of police units had attended the address in Dyce to break-up the suspected party, but left the “chaotic scene” with puncture wounds from Bella’s bite.
Huntly man banned from owning horses after admitting neglect of Danny Boy the pony
A Huntly man has been fined £320 and banned from owning a horse for three years after he admitted mistreating a pony.
Philip Brayne, 61, appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court to pled guilty to neglecting his pony named Danny Boy by failing to get any medical treatment for the animal’s overgrown hooves.
The neglect – according to the charges – took place between August 2022 and August 2023 and Brayne also admitted not getting dental help for the pony’s facial swelling.
Autistic man texts to mum after prolonged assault by violent Grindr date
A man texted his mother asking her to ‘please help!!!’ after the hook-up he met on Grindr assaulted him in his own home.
Darwyn Perry, 37, invited himself to visit after the pair struck up a friendship on the networking app.
But when he arrived at the man’s rural Wester Ross home he helped himself to alcohol, and “joked about with knives” before punching, slapping and kicking his victim, who is autistic.
Man avoids jail after turned up at neighbour’s door with a knife
An Aberdeen man has narrowly avoided going to prison after his neighbour answered her front door to find him standing there holding a knife.
Jason Findlay, 53, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted being found by police in possession of a blade.
When the police arrived on the scene, they found Findlay still in the communal hallway but with the knife now broken into two pieces.
Man banned after being found almost SEVEN times the limit
A Lossiemouth man has been banned from driving for three years after being caught almost seven times over the limit.
Allan Thomson, 54, appeared in Elgin Sheriff Court after admitting one charge of drink-driving and a further charge of failing to provide a breath sample.
The court heard Thomson, of Smithfield Place, Lossiemouth, had been reported to the police by concerned members of the public after he had been seen driving his white Vauxhall Astra.
Three accused of attempting to murder man by torching his Macduff home
Three suspects are to stand trial accused of attempting to murder a man by setting fire to a Macduff property while he was inside.
It’s alleged Michael Whitbread, 25, Stuart Gerrard, 19, and Calvin Gallon, 24, torched a property where Logan Livingstone was residing.
The alleged offence is stated to have taken place on April 27 2023.
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