Our reporters have been sitting in courtrooms across the north and north-east this week and covered a wide variety of cases.
Aberdeen stripper back in court after breaching sex offenders register
An Aberdeen stripper who was found guilty of sexually assaulting two women during a hen party is back in court after he failed to tell police about a new passport.
Stuart Kennedy – also known professionally as Sergeant Eros – was placed on the sex offenders register after he was convicted of sexually assaulting the woman at a performance in the Aberdeen city centre venue The Cellar in May 2022.
Following the outcome of the trial, Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard that Kennedy appeared at a police station to be made subject to the sex offenders register, taking his old passport with him.
Man denies filming children in Aberdeen and making sexual comment
A man has appeared in court facing a disturbing breach of the peace charge involving filming and making sexual comments about children in Aberdeen.
Andrew Spowart is alleged to have taken a video of children playing on Oldtown Place, during which he made a sexual comment about the children and then posted it on social media.
The 46-year-old pled not guilty in response to the charge and seven others.
That offence is alleged to have been committed on August 20 2022.
Laughing Aberdeen yob flooded flats ‘to make slip ‘n’ slide’
A laughing yob who flooded his flat – and the one below him – told police officers he wanted to make a “slip ‘n’ slide”.
Jamie Wallace, 19, blocked his bath with a latex glove and ripped up the bathroom’s waterproof flooring.
The overflowing water saturated the wooden floor underneath the tiles and formed huge pools in the hallway, quickly dripping through the ceiling of the flat below.
Fyvie pensioner jailed after jury finds him guilty of abusing young girl
An Aberdeenshire pensioner who repeatedly sexually abused a young girl has been jailed.
Peter Fenton, 68, was found guilty of sexually touching the child over a three-year period following a trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court in July of this year.
Fenton, who denied the charges, was found guilty by a jury of 11 women and four men after more than three hours of deliberation.
Aberdeen men jailed after targeting alleged sex crime victim in fire attack
Four thugs – including two from Aberdeen – have been jailed for a total of more than 20 years after they were recruited to carry out revenge fire attacks on an alleged sex crime victim and her family.
Stephen Barry, 32, and Ty Hyland, 21, were part of a gang that struck after the mum made serious physical and sexual accusations against a man.
The Aberdeen pair, along with Lewis Yates, 25, and Brandon Philips, 21, were sentenced today at the High Court in Glasgow.
Teen could be caged over serious assault – unless he moves out of mum’s house
A teen who knocked a man unconscious and then stamped on his head has been given four weeks to move out of his mum’s house to avoid being sent to custody.
Taylor Rooney knocked the male, who had instigated the confrontation, unconscious on St Nicholas Street in the city centre.
The 19-year-old then continued the attack while his victim lay motionless on the ground.
Sex offender jailed after trying to hide phone sex line history
A serial sex offender is back behind bars after breaching a court order by deleting his call history – to hide his use of legal adult chat lines.
Matthew Taylor started using phone sex lines after growing tired of AI (artificial intelligence) apps to gain sexual gratification.
He had been made subject of a sexual offences prevention order which included a condition he was not allowed to delete or hide call history.
Inverness serial domestic abuser jailed for 34 months
A serial domestic abuser, whose crimes included punching a partner in the face as she drove, has been jailed for 34 months.
Thomas Smith’s outbursts were so bad that a neighbour who overheard them told his victim to bang on the wall if she ever needed the police.
A sheriff told Smith he had “a propensity to attempt to coerce and control”.
Suspected drink-driver gets another road ban – for exactly the same offence, on the same road
A suspected drink-driver who was banned from the road has appeared in court – after doing exactly the same thing again.
Christopher Adam was first handed a road ban in December 2021 after he refused to take a roadside breath test.
He served out his 16-month punishment and got back behind the wheel in April 2023 – but the 42-year-old’s freedom didn’t last for long.
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Jail warning for Hollywood con artist who fleeced her own family
A woman who conned her family out of more than £30,000 in a fake Hollywood actress scam faces jail after she failed to repay a single penny of the cash.
Heather Dunlop, 40, claimed to her loved ones that she had signed million-pound contracts.
She and her Highland mum Ann Dunlop, 69, convinced her brother David Bunton, 52, to hand Heather cash to help her make the breakthrough,
Sheriff’s warning to thug who punched woman: ‘You are begging for a prison sentence’
A man pinned his ex-partner to the wall by her throat in a row over a dog.
Shane Donnellan had fallen out with the woman and had gone around to her house in Kemnay on the eve of his birthday.
When he arrived, he found several people in the kitchen and asked her about the dog – before then punched her in the head.
Spurned Fort William boyfriend’s stalking campaign after bad break-up
The end of a seven-month relationship sparked a sinister 10-week campaign of stalking by a spurned boyfriend.
Mark Curtis, from Fort William, learned of the break-up on June 30 last year but refused to accept it was over and started harassing his ex the very next day.
Curtis, 30, turned up at the woman’s home and was told by her parents that he was not welcome.
‘Do you want to dance?’: Yob hit pal with metal bar
A topless thug armed with a dumbbell bar asked his friend if he wanted “to dance” before hitting him on the neck.
Terry Whyte had been on a drink and drug binge for almost eight hours after going round to his friend’s house to watch TV.
As his level of intoxication grew, the 37-year-old fell out with his friend, who briefly left the address because of Whyte’s behaviour.
Ban and unpaid work for student teacher who caused Balmedie pensioner’s death in rural crash
A north-east student teacher was told not to let a fatal car crash she caused ruin her life when she has “paid her debt to society”.
Bethany Fraser previously admitted failing to give way and crashing at a rural junction while driving home from a hen party in Kirriemuir.
As she passed Baldoukie Motors near Tannadice, she crossed the junction at around 40mph and collided with an oncoming Land Rover.
‘Depraved’ paedophile who sent sex toy images to 12-year-old decoy avoids jail
A man who sent pornographic images to what he thought was a 12-year-old girl has been told his “depraved” actions nearly landed him in prison.
Cameron MacKinnon was caught red-handed when a paedophile hunter group created a fake profile of a young girl who the 64-year-old tried to engage in a sordid online chat.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard how MacKinnon told the “child” he would “tuck her in every night” before forwarding on more graphic sexual images featuring adult sex toys.
Man to go on trial accused of domestic abuse and assault of four dogs
A man who allegedly threatened to kill her former partner is also accused of attacking four dogs and causing them to suffer.
Pawel Lukaszewicz, 37, is due to go on trial facing a series of charges he threatened the woman with violence, was physically violent, monitored her movements and trapped her arm in a door.
It is further alleged Lukaszewicz repeatedly kicked their four dogs to the head and body, causing them unnecessary suffering.
He denies all the charges against him.
Drunken Aberdeen teen bit and tried to rob man delivering Chinese takeaway
A drunken teen celebrating her 19th birthday punched, bit and tried to rob a delivery man after ordering a Chinese takeaway.
Brooklyn Mathieson, 19, tried to snatch the bags of food from the man when he arrived to deliver it – and then viciously assaulted him when he clung on.
The dramatic scene – during which she sunk her teeth into the man – left her victim with a fractured elbow and broken prawn crackers strewn across the floor, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
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Stalker who left young woman feeling ‘frightened and vulnerable’ ordered to stay away from her
An Aberdeen stalker who left his female neighbour feeling “frightened and vulnerable” by spying on her through her bedroom window has been ordered by a court to stay away from her.
Sean Monaghan, 30, was found guilty following a trial that he stalked the 24-year-old student, who caught him watching her on more than 20 occasions.
As she bravely gave evidence at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, the young woman stated that Monaghan also following her as she walked to work and arrived unannounced at her door.
He later tried to connect with her on numerous social media sites over almost a year.
Yob spat at and tried to kick cops – after handing himself in
A wanted man turned up at a police station to hand himself in – then spat at and tried to kick officers as they took him into custody.
Ryan Laird arrived at Kittybrewster station in the early hours of the morning over an outstanding warrant, but quickly became “irate”.
The 22-year-old also punched a wall and tried to headbutt a door.
Former Aberdeen FC player appears in court on drug importation charge
A former Aberdeen FC player has appeared in court accused of helping import drugs into the UK from Thailand.
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, who played for the Dons in the 2021/22 season, was detained after the seizure of cannabis with a street value of £600,000 at Stansted Airport on September 2.
Police made arrests of other individuals – but not Emmanuel-Thomas – at Stansted Airport on September 2 and they arrested Emmanuel-Thomas on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old, of Cardwell Road, Gourock, appeared before Carlisle magistrates.
Racist yob attacked and injured cop inside Aberdeen Sheriff Court
A racist yob has admitted assaulting and injuring a female police sergeant in an unprovoked attack inside Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
Troy Sutherland attacked the officer outside Court 4 in the city centre courthouse, before threatening her and a male colleague.
The incident, which left the court-based sergeant injured, happened as she tried to clear the corridor to make way for an accused person in custody to be escorted away.
Wind farm worker who trashed Dyce hotel room ordered to pay £3,000 repair bill
A man who trashed a hotel room causing £3,000 worth of damage has been ordered to pay the repair bill.
Lee Harker appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted causing serious damage to a hotel room at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Aberdeen.
It was stated that the 38-year-old got drunk and was seen shouting at other guests as they tried to check in to the hotel.
When the hotel manager led Harker to his room, he saw the devastation he had caused.
Stonehaven drink-driver so drunk he was reported to police TWICE
A drink-driver who was caught while more than five-and-a-half times the alcohol limit was so drunk he was reported to the police TWICE.
Both Robert Lenfert’s neighbours and staff at a branch of Kwik Fit called the emergency services because of concerns about his inebriated state.
Police in Stonehaven quickly rushed to the Kwik Fit garage where they traced the 52-year-old, who provided the high reading.
Lenfert has now been handed a lengthy ban as well as unpaid work over the incident.
Man jailed for flashing children after alleyway sex act with woman
A man has been jailed after exposing himself to a trio of schoolchildren after he received a sex act in an alley.
Jonathon Sinclair, 39, was spotted simulating sex and then engaging in a sex act with a woman in Inverness.
He then exposed himself to the boys – all of whom were under 13 – saying: “I bet you wish you had a willy like this.”
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