Our reporters have been sitting in courtrooms across the north and north-east this week and covered a wide variety of cases.
Men found with £33,000 worth of cannabis
Two men who tried to grow cannabis to sell exclusively to Aberdeen’s Polish community have avoided prison after police caught them with £33,000 worth of the drug.
Daniel Jastrzebski, 37, and Cezary Panczyk, 56, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where they admitted being concerned in the production and supply of cannabis.
However, despite plants found growing in several rooms of a house, it was stated by their lawyers that neither man had turned to drug dealing for “financial gain”.
Thug abducted man from home at knifepoint over unpaid bike debt
A thug abducted a man from his own home at knifepoint, forced him into a van and threatened to kill him – all over an unpaid bike repair bill.
Craig Edgar turned up at his victim’s home in Aberdeen late at night and rained punches on him before locking him in the back of his van and driving him to the beach.
There, the 37-year-old continued to violently attack the man and made him phone his mother to send him the £2,000 he claimed he was owed.
Highland fraudster conned pub pals out of thousands with South African diamond mine lie
A fraudster conned friends out of tens of thousands of pounds by luring them into “investing” in a non-existent South African diamond mine and pretending he was dying of cancer.
Heartless Michael Walker managed to persuade an elderly man to hand over approximately £65,000 after convincing him to buy into the fake diamond mine.
Walker, 56, was living with his victim for a time at a property in Mansfield Park, Kirkhill, when he launched his dishonest scheme in February 2009.
Abusive boyfriend attacked partner when she wouldn’t make him sandwich at 2.30am
An abusive boyfriend hurled a pot of pasta at his partner’s head when she wouldn’t make him a sandwich at 2.30am.
Matiss Vingens branded his partner “useless” and subjected her to repeated violent attacks, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
The abusive 30-year-old also attacked the woman as she wrapped Christmas presents and flew into a violent rage when she wouldn’t have sex with him.
Fiscal depute Rebecca Thompson said the couple had been together for around five years
Aberdeen City Council failed in its legal obligations on ETZ plans, court told
A lawyer representing campaigners against proposals to industrialise part of an Aberdeen park has told the Court of Session that Aberdeen City Council failed in its legal duty to perform an impact assessment on the plans.
Friends of St Fittick’s Park (FSFP) are challenging Aberdeen City Council’s plans to turn the park into a site called an Energy Transition Zone (ETZ).
ETZ Ltd, which is poised to fund the project, is a private sector-led and not-for-profit company spearheading the North East of Scotland’s energy transition ambition, receiving governmental support.
Drugged-up thug walked into Wetherspoons and pointed knife at barman
A man has been electronically tagged after he strolled into a Wetherspoons and pulled a kitchen knife from his waistband before pointing it at a barman.
Dominic Imray, 21, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted threatening the bar worker at Archibald Simpson’s pub by loudly demanding to know why his friends had left him.
Having no idea, the quick-thinking barman suggested that perhaps they had left through the back door.
Imray then placed the blade back into his waistband and walked out the rear exit of the bar.
Man caught with indecent images thought 16-year-olds were adults
A man has been placed on the sex offenders register after misunderstanding legislation around indecent images of children.
Martin Duncan had hundreds of indecent images and more than an hour of video footage of youngsters.
The 53-year-old was caught when police raided his home in Hutcheon Court in Aberdeen.
‘The hardest punch I’ve ever given anyone’: Drunken thug’s boast after attacking woman
A man left his cousin permanently scarred in a terrifying drunken assault after which he bragged that he’d “broken her face”.
Jamie Stewart also throttled the frightened woman in his Aberdeen flat after an argument broke out.
And the 33-year-old then followed her outside promising to give her the “beating of her life” and knocking her to the ground with a vicious punch.
Inverness football coach guilty of raping 15-year-old girl
The former head coach of an Inverness girl’s football team has been found guilty of raping a 15-year-old.
Lee Murray denied the charge and had lodged a special defence of consent.
The 53-year-old was also found guilty of communicating indecently with an older child and causing them to look at a sexual image, attempting to communicate indecently with a child and attempting to cause a child to look at a sexual image.
He was found guilty by majority on the rape charge and unanimously guilty on all the others.
Man admits gun threats during Inverness police stand-off
A man threatened to shoot police officers with a handgun during a three-and-a-half-hour stand-off in Inverness.
Lee Dyce also said he would stab anyone who set foot inside his flat during the incident that started on the afternoon of April 18 this year.
The 37-year-old – who had only been released from prison two weeks earlier – punched his fist through three windows and hurled furniture to the ground below, Inverness Sheriff Court was told today.
Three men in court accused of stealing 7 Ford Fiestas across north-east
Three men have appeared in court after a police probe into the theft of seven Ford Fiestas and two Fiat Abarth cars across the north-east.
Officers arrested the trio from Dundee on Monday when they were charged with stealing up to nine vehicles, according to Police Scotland.
It’s claimed the vehicles had vanished from addresses in Aberdeen and across Aberdeenshire between June 3 and July 9.
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Drugged-up dad found slumped over wheel of work van
A drugged-up dad vomited all over himself in front of police after being found slumped at the wheel of a van.
Graham Hare had taken a mixture of drugs before passing out with the engine running in the middle of the day.
A concerned member of the public spotted the stricken 48-year-old unconscious on Hayton Road in Aberdeen and dialled 999.
When officers arrived and managed to rouse the reveller, he was sick down himself.
Teen caught with picture of baby girl being abused said ‘it’s no big deal’
A teenager who downloaded a sick image of a baby girl being abused told a social worker: “It’s no big deal.”
Paedophile Ewan Brown “did not seem duly concerned” when the court worker pointed out the young child was being sexually abused by a man, Inverness Sheriff Court was told.
The 19-year-old previously admitted downloading a total of 63 still images of children aged between two and eight onto his mobile phone between October 14 and October 21 2022.
Banker deliberately targeted 81-year-old customer with dementia in £18k fraud
A heartless banker swindled a widower with dementia in an £18,000 fraud in a desperate effort to clear his own debts.
Stephen Barr, from Aberdeen, said he deliberately targeted 81-year-old Douglas Crumley – who has since died – because of his confused state.
Barr was working as a link bank manager for Bank of Scotland at Dundee’s Fairmuir branch, having previously served as a personal banking advisor.
Drug-driver sped off from police and crashed into another car
A drug-fuelled dangerous driver sped away from police in Aberdeen city centre and ploughed into another vehicle.
Riaaz Meah drove dangerously on Justice Mill Lane, Hardgate, Willowbank Road and Springbank Terrace.
The 19-year-old accelerated away in excess of the speed limit when police pulled up behind him.
Dangerous Elgin sex offender stalked woman from inside Glenochil Prison
A convicted sex offender so dangerous he was sentenced to life was able to terrorise a woman from inside a top security Scottish jail.
David McKenzie, from Elgin, bombarded his victim with more than 900 phone calls and voice messages from Glenochil Prison.
The 36-year-old – who was handed an order for lifelong restriction 15 years ago for trying to take three eight-year-old Elgin girls to a secluded spot – also sent her filthy and abusive letters, Stirling Sheriff Court heard.
Labourer has no memory of torching cararvan in act of revenge
A labourer who torched a caravan after he was sacked has no memory of committing his frightening act of revenge.
Scott Finnie had been hired by a woman to carry out work on her croft near Buckie but was let go after she learned of his involvement with police as well as from a former employer, who believed he was dangerous.
Finnie – who is currently serving a custodial sentence after he flew drones illegally around Aberdeen Airport – took the sacking badly and sent a text to his partner saying: “I’ll burn her on the fire”.
Stalker behind bars as courts lose patience after relentless campaign against ex-wife
A serial stalker has finally been jailed after sending his long-suffering ex-wife a letter in which he “joked” that he hoped she’d lose an eye.
Christopher Clark was already the subject of a court order banning him from contacting his ex when he sent the disturbing letter, along with a birthday present for his daughter.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard the 38-year-old had previously received community sentences for bizarre and upsetting similar stalking scenarios.
Aberdeen gas engineer caught with £300,000 of cannabis
An Aberdeen gas engineer faces jail after police seized more than £300,000 of cannabis.
Adrian Greedy was caught after initially trying to flee from detectives in Great Northern Road in the Woodside area of Aberdeen on May 7 2022.
Prosecutor Kirsten Cockburn today told the High Court in Glasgow that the officers first seized three bags of the class B drug that the 36-year-old tried to get rid of.
A further haul was then discovered in a Transit van that he had the keys for.
Highland councillor’s ‘huge relief’ as fake disabled parking permit charges are dropped
A Highland councillor hopes to put an “extremely stressful” year behind her after charges that she created fake blue badge parking permits were dropped.
Maxine Smith said she felt like she had been through “trial by social media” after news emerged that she was facing a possible court case.
The accusation was that the permits were being used by drivers of her tour bus company Thistle Excursions, to allow them to use restricted parking spaces.
The 64-year-old pleaded not guilty to the charge and a trial date was fixed for August.
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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.
Aberdeen pensioner in dock after setting up network of cameras to film neighbours
An ASBO-breaching Aberdeen pensioner has appeared in court after setting up CCTV cameras to monitor her neighbours – who she branded “scum of the earth and terrorists”.
Nightmare neighbour Norma Fraser was made subject of an anti-social behaviour order specifically banning her from having cameras pointed next door, as well as threatening or verbally abusing anyone.
But when police came to see the 67-year-old at her School Terrace home after she had apparently breached that order, she shouted and swore at them and insulted her long-suffering neighbours.
New roads ban for three-time drink-driver
A repeat drink-driver has been hit with another road ban after being caught more than triple the alcohol limit in the early hours of the morning.
James Abba’s poor driving caught the eye of another motorist on the A90 near Stonehaven and they alerted police.
Officers quickly traced the 44-year-old and found him with glazed eyes and slurred speech.
Aberdeen man found guilty of horrific abduction and gunpoint rape
A man has been found guilty of a brutal abduction and gunpoint rape following a trial at the High Court in Aberdeen.
Nathan Sim, 20, was convicted of donning a black balaclava and pulling an imitation handgun on his 18-year-old victim, who believed he was being given a place to sleep after he missed his bus home.
Sim then subjected him to a prolonged and violent abduction and rape, which lasted until the early hours of the morning.
Woman’s broad daylight attack on girl, 12, in Aberdeen city centre
An intoxicated woman fell on and attacked a 12-year-old girl in broad daylight in Aberdeen city centre.
Tina Stewart had approached a group of youngsters and offered to buy vapes for them, but when they weren’t interested the situation turned violent.
After initially falling over on top of the young girl, Stewart, 34, assaulted her, grabbing hold of her and dragging her along Back Wynd.
Man breached court order by having sex with woman on embankment near Elgin’s Tesco
An Elgin man who was legally banned from approaching a woman broke the law when he was caught having sex with her on an embankment near Tesco.
Jordan Stewart was under bail conditions not to contact the woman when an eagle-eyed CCTV operator spotted the pair “engaged in sexual activity” just yards from the A96 in Elgin.
Two police officers were dispatched to the scene to intervene and discovered the amorous pair “still prone”.
Aberdeen pair behind bars after revenge fire attack on alleged sex crime victim
Two Aberdeen thugs are behind bars having been recruited to carry out revenge fire attacks on an alleged sex crime victim and her family.
Stephen Barry and Ty Hyland were part of a gang that struck after the mum made serious physical and sexual accusations against a man.
The woman and her relatives were each targeted twice in two days in November 2022 at their homes in Midlothian.
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