Weekend court roll – a playpark flasher and cruel dog owner

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

Paedophile jailed after being caught with sick images for THIRD time

A serial sex offender has been jailed after he was caught downloading indecent images of children for the third time.

Daniel McGladrigan, 23, was placed on the sex offenders register and banned from using the internet after being caught with hundreds of pictures of children and hours of video footage on his devices in 2021.

In April 2023, he was warned by a sheriff when caught with indecent images for the second time that he had only avoided prison due to his young age.

But when police raided McGladrigan’s home in November they found he had built himself a computer and downloaded nearly 900 indecent images of children only months afterwards.

Inverness drug-driver banned from the roads

An Inverness man caught drug-driving around the Highland capital has been banned from the roads.

Andrew Bell appeared agitated and had constricted pupils when officers stopped his car in Merkinch.

A roadside saliva test came back positive for cocaine.

Bell, 41, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court for sentencing having previously admitted a single drug-driving charge.

Lorry driver who admitted causing death of north-east pensioner handed unpaid work

A long-haul lorry driver who caused the death of a retired oil and gas worker when his car collided with the back of his HGV has been banned from driving for one year.

Stephen Brennand, 60, appeared in the dock last month where he admitted acting without due care and attention when he pulled his lorry into the central reservation of the A90 near Tipperty.

Brennand, who had been driving for 10 hours, was attempting to turn his vehicle around and pull over, but left the back end of his trailer protruding into the fast lane.

Alistair Arthur’s Volkswagen Scirocco – which was travelling in the opposite direction – struck the lorry, killing the 74-year-old.

Aberdeen thief nabbed woman’s handbag as she celebrated birthday

A thief walked into a woman’s Aberdeen home and stole her handbag as she prepared to celebrate her birthday with family.

Lee Stewart helped himself to the handbag containing £80 in cash after finding the door on Poplar Road unlocked.

The resident had left the door open as she was expecting family to come round for birthday celebrations.

However, Stewart, 45 – who also tried to break into a property on Linksfield Place – was caught on CCTV leaving with the bag and has now found himself behind bars.

Cops smash organised crime gang dealing drugs in Aberdeen

A teenager has appeared in court after a police crackdown on an organised crime gang in Aberdeen.

Covert police officers had Jack Paterson under surveillance as part of Operation Dragoneye.

The 19-year-old was found to be using his mobile phone to “advertise” cocaine and heroin for sale and arrange meetings between buyers and sellers.

Fiscal depute Rebecca Thompson told Aberdeen Sheriff Court police received intelligence from May 2022 that an organised crime group was dealing in Aberdeen.

Inverness killer’s prison stalking trial deserted after blunder by prosecutors

A notorious Scottish killer has been acquitted of stalking two women from behind bars after a blunder by prosecutors meant he was not brought to court in Perth for trial.

Alan Dewar is serving a life sentence for the murder of Inverness teenager Joshua Mitchell.

The 33-year-old was accused of engaging in a course of conduct that caused two women fear or alarm in April 2022, repeatedly contacting them by phone from Perth Prison and making violent threats.

Dewar, who denied the allegation, was due to stand trial at Perth Sheriff Court on Monday.

Flasher jailed after exposing himself to girl, 9, in Kincorth playpark

The mum of a little girl who was followed into a playpark by a flasher has said her daughter is now terrified to walk anywhere on her own.

Jack Allan appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted exposing himself to the child – then aged just nine – in a public park in the Kincorth area of the city.

Following the incident, Allan, a serial sex offender, was later seen on his balcony carrying out a sex act in full view of the public.

Jailing the 47-year-old for nearly two years, Sheriff Graham Buchanan condemned Allan for the “serious psychological harm” his actions have caused the child.

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Jealous boyfriend punched and choked partner in ‘disgusting’ attack

A jealous boyfriend punched and choked his partner in a violent attack over allegations of infidelity.

Sylwester Pilat’s disturbing late-night attack on the woman was overheard by a neighbour, alerted by the female’s desperate screams.

The 24-year-old first punched the woman and then lashed out again when she tried to phone the police.

Pilat, who himself described his actions as “disgusting”, has now been ordered to take part in a programme for domestic offenders.

Pensioner admits causing horror head-on crash that killed two Highland holidaymakers

A tour of the Highlands ended in tragedy for two holidaymakers who were killed in a head-on collision in Wester Ross.

Inverness Sheriff Court was told it is still a mystery why Boughty Ferry pensioner Ronald Stoneman, 79, failed to negotiate a “modest” bend and drifted onto the wrong side of the A832 near Creag na Dunaiche in Dundonnell.

Donna Engelbert, 72, a passenger in Stoneman’s Kia Sportage hire car, died along with 69-year-old retired computer programmer Kenneth Gillon, a front-seat passenger in the other vehicle, a Kia Venga.

Mrs Engelbert – a family friend from Canada who was in Scotland to visit Stoneman and his wife Maureen – was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary but died 10 days after the August 31 2022 collision.

Nurse assaulted vulnerable residents at Highland care homes

A nurse has been found guilty of assaulting vulnerable residents at two Highland care homes.

John Andrew Charters, known as Andrew, slapped a female patient’s bare bottom and asked: “If I be your Sampson, you can be my Delilah?”

He also pulled a 78-year-old man from his bed against his will, leaving him sore and bruised.

Charters, 61, had denied the assault charges when he stood trial at Inverness Sheriff Court.

Five in court after alleged bank fraud scam targeted Aberdeen pensioner

Five people have appeared in court after a police investigation into an alleged bank fraud scam that left an Aberdeen pensioner six figures out of pocket.

It’s claimed that the victim was contacted by a person who posed as a member of the fraud department at the man’s bank in January.

Four men and one woman were all charged after officers, including personnel from the North-East Division’s Cyber-Enabled Crime Team, raided residential and business addresses in East Kilbride, Shawlands and Uddingston last Friday.

Umair Ali, 21, and 48-year-old Mohammed Asif – both from the Glasgow area – each face a single charge of operating a fraudulent scheme.

Aberdeen fan’s football ban for attempting to throw rock at Rangers bus

The son of a senior police officer has been handed a ban from all football grounds in the UK after he attempted to throw a rock at a Rangers supporters bus.

Cameron Craig, 19, was only prevented from throwing the rock by a quick-thinking police officer.

The incident happened in April last year, following the Dons’ 2-0 victory, and saw scores of Aberdeen fans goading their rivals as the buses left Pittodrie.

Several projectiles were thrown – including bricks and beer bottles – resulting in the window of a Ranger’s supporter’s bus being smashed.

Sheriff’s warning to teenage 106mph speeder

A teenager caught driving at 106mph on the A96 has been banned from the roads.

Aiden Baird, 19, was clocked travelling 46mph over the 60mph speed limit at Morayhill near Tornagrain.

Sheriff David Harvie told Baird that, had he crashed, “at those kinds of speeds, everybody dies”.

Baird appeared before Sheriff Harvie at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit a single speeding charge in relation to the incident on September 2 last year.

Inverurie dad found guilty of striking boy with additional needs in playpark

A dad has been convicted of assaulting a 12-year-old boy with additional support needs who got into an argument with his son at an Inverurie playpark.

Malcolm Farquharson was found guilty following a trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court of chasing the child across Martin Brae Park before taking hold of him and striking him in the face.

The court was told the 52-year-old flew into a rage after his son got into an altercation with a boy over whose turn it was on the swings.

Farquharson then chased the boy down, grabbed him around the neck and assaulted him to the extent the child had to be taken to hospital.

Spurned ex ordered to pay love rival £200 after bedroom bottle assault

A jilted lover has been ordered to pay his ex’s new man £200 after he hit him over the head with a glass bottle.

James Sim flew into a violent rage when he turned up at his former girlfriend’s home and discovered her in bed with the other man.

After an initial verbal altercation, the 19-year-old grabbed a glass bottle and hit his rival over the head with it.

His victim was left with blood pouring from a head wound, which had to be glued shut by medics.

Aberdeen dog owner warned he faces prison

An Aberdeen dog owner is facing prison after he admitted to keeping puppies in cramped and squalid conditions.

Shaun McCourt’s six Mastiff-cross puppies were found living in urine and faeces inside an address on Ash-hill Drive.

A vet who examined the little dogs found serious bone deformities, with one in such a poor condition that it had to be euthanised immediately.

The vet stated that she had “never seen puppies in such a bad bodily condition”.

Young footballer hits out at sentence of careless driver who left her career in jeopardy

A young footballer whose career has been left in jeopardy after being knocked down by a careless driver has hit out at his sentence.

Chloe Henderson, who plays for Huntly FC Women, is facing at least another year on the sidelines after being left with a fractured knee following the crash near Mounthooly roundabout.

The 19-year-old was crossing the road on Mounthooly Way on her way to college when William Massie, 43, who had not been indicating to leave the roundabout, ploughed into her.

Chloe, who was with her 16-year-old sister at the time, was told by the police she was just a few steps from losing her life and feared she could be left paralysed.

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Thief swiped money at cash machine then bit man who tried to stop her

A thief snatched £80 from a woman at a cash machine in Aberdeen, then bit her husband when he tried to intervene.

April Gordon swiped the cash at the Morrisons Daily ATM on Hayton Road as a woman tried to withdraw her money.

The thief was caught up with nearby on Bradley Terrace where the woman’s husband tried to restrain her and call the police.

But Gordon, 31, denied still having the money and bit the man as he tried to stop her leaving.

Unpaid work for Aberdeen fan who hurled sectarian abuse at Ibrox steward

An Aberdeen fan who abused a steward during a match against Rangers has been ordered to do unpaid work.

David Mitchell, 43, hurled a single comment at Ibrox Stadium on May 7 2023.

The Dons had travelled to face their Glasgow rivals which the hosts won 1-0.

Court papers state that Mitchell, of Lewis Road, Aberdeen, behaved in a threatening or abusive manner at the match.

Masked man caught with knife at 1am was ‘on way to bakery’

A masked man caught lurking in the street at 1am with a knife claimed he was just popping out to a bakery.

Martin Robertson freely admitted he was carrying a blade when suspicious police officers approached him on Holland Street – and then fled on foot.

He could not offer an explanation for having the knife but, in court, he has now claimed he was on his way for a late-night snack.

The 31-year-old also sought to explain his face being covered by the fact that it was chilly out.

Serial Fraserburgh fraudster  guilty of Hillary Clinton scam

A serial Fraserburgh fraudster has been convicted of scamming her friend into handing over tens of thousands of pounds by pretending to make a documentary about Hillary Clinton.

Anne Mulloy or Leuser sat unmoved as the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict at Peterhead Sheriff Court this afternoon.

The Press and Journal can now reveal that the 61-year-old was previously jailed in November 2017 after admitting a similar scam involving a London TV production company, who also believed her lies about the non-existent Hillary Clinton project.

In that case, she even paid an actress £5,000 to impersonate a member of the former First Lady’s communications team in order to convince a British filmmaker that she was legitimate.

Pensioner accidentally hit accelerator of high-speed electric car and caused four-vehicle crash

A pensioner who accidentally hit the accelerator of her 300bhp electric vehicle and ploughed into parked cars has admitted careless driving

Mary McNie’s Hyundai was equipped with an automatic driver position setting, which activated as she pressed the start button after having manually moved her seat.

The unexpected adjustment caused her foot to come off the brake and hit the accelerator.

The car then shot forward, hitting another vehicle and causing a domino effect involving further cars, Inverness Sheriff Court heard.

Woman who racially harassed child told ‘actions have consequences’ – and admonished

A sheriff warned a woman who racially harassed a child that her “actions have consequences” – and then admonished her.

The admonition means that Deborah McIntosh, 41, has the conviction added to her record but does not face any further punishment.

She had admitted pursuing a racially aggravated course of conduct amounting to harassment against a 14-year-old child.

She repeatedly appeared outside the family’s address in Aberdeen, repeatedly made violent threats, shouted, swore and repeatedly made offensive racial remarks.

Pair jailed after police find bags containing almost £100,000 of cannabis

Two drug dealers have been jailed after a police search recovered nearly £100,000 of cannabis in vacuum-sealed bags.

Paul Stewart, 32, and Robert Sudzinski, 38, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where they admitted being concerned in the supply of cannabis from addresses in the Granite City and Alloa.

Stewart was found with more than 3kg of the Class B drug in his possession, while Sudzinski had over 2.5kg.

The combined maximum street value of the bags was £99,875.

Man, 57, sexually assaulted vulnerable nine-year-old girl in cemetery

A man had been placed on the sex offenders register after he kissed a nine-year-old girl in an Aberdeenshire graveyard.

Charles Stuart, 58, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted approaching the vulnerable child – who has been diagnosed with several learning difficulties – before taking her for a walk in a cemetery.

It was stated that as the pair left the graveyard to walk home, Stuart kissed the child on the mouth.

Stuart, who the court was told is also considered a vulnerable person, told his support worker that he had been “overwhelmed with emotion” and that is why he had kissed the little girl.

Serial Highland sex attacker who preyed on children locked up for eight years

A convicted Highland sex offender who pretended to be a teenage boy before blackmailing and raping a young girl has been jailed for eight years.

Joshua Pemberton struck in January 2022 having earlier been freed from jail.

The 26-year-old had initially contacted the victim on social media while claiming to be just 14.

Pemberton went on to rape the 13-year-old girl at a hotel in Livingston, West Lothian after threatening to expose intimate photos of the teenager that he had pestered her for.

 

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