Weekend court roll – a Colombian coke bust and a violent man of God

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

Kintore man operated a cannabis farm at his father’s business

A Kintore man who set up a cannabis farm and claimed to supply dying relatives with the drug must carry out unpaid work.

Alexander Robertson, 47, used his father’s business in Angus to operate the cultivation, which he claimed was for “personal and medicinal uses”.

However, police believed there was enough evidence to link Robertson to the supply of the Class B drug after raiding Forestmuir Sawmill, near Forfar.

Dundee Sheriff Court was told how the “family-run business” builds garden sheds, buildings and fencing.

Shetland car crash driver hid hurt friend and sent ambulance away

A Shetland drink-driver told rescuers no one else was in his crashed car as his passenger friend lay severely injured in the wreckage.

James Leaper came off the road on Unst after going to a Uyeasound Up Helly Aa fire festival with his now-permanently impaired pal on February 12 last year.

The 29-year-old repeatedly kicked and struck the man as he exited the stricken vehicle to force him back inside, before dragging and placing him into the front seat.

Leaper even told a confused ambulance crew they’d turned up to the wrong incident and fled the scene in a car he wasn’t permitted to use.

Portlethen paedophile told ‘13-year-old girl’ they would have ‘beautiful kids together’

A Portlethen paedophile told an undercover police officer posing as a 13-year-old girl they would have “beautiful kids together”.

Ian Robertson was snared by an officer who set up a fake Snapchat account to identify internet users with “a sexual interest in children”.

And after adding the supposed child as a friend, Robertson, 38, quickly turned the conversation sexual.

In a vile string of communications, Robertson talked about meeting and having sex with the 13-year-old, as well as having children together and plotting what they could tell the girl’s mother.

Hotel worker who sexually assaulted girl, 16, avoids jail

A pervert who sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl has avoided punishment at court – because it would delay his deportation.

Rasel Khan led the teenager into a private part of the Aberdeenshire hotel he worked at before hugging, kissing, licking and groping the distressed girl.

Eventually she managed to push the 33-year-old off her and escape back to her friends at the bar.

Now a sheriff has taken the unusual step, given the gravity of the offence, of admonishing him – but only because it would otherwise delay his deportation.

Aberdeen man who sent sex videos to ‘decoy’ teen girls is placed on sex offenders register

An Aberdeen man who was caught sending sexual images to online accounts he thought were children asked police upon being arrested: “Will I be jailed for this?”

Michael Barbour, 56, was snared by paedophile hunter groups when he engaged with online social media accounts believing he was talking to teenage girls.

Barbour asked the children to send images of themselves and forwarded sexual content of adults engaging in sexual acts.

When police arrested him, Barbour immediately came clean and said he’d been “speaking to kids” before asking if he would end up in prison, Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard.

Man avoids jail after sending child abuse to undercover police officer

An Aberdeen man who was forwarding child abuse material to an undercover officer has avoided prison after police raided his home and found him with sadistic sexual material.

Christopher Bloom appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted downloading and storing indecent images of children on his home devices.

When police searched his computer they found indecent images of children – including file links with the titles ‘young girls’ and ‘teen girl pics’.

Upon a further search of Bloom’s phone, police found images of children involved in sadistic sexual activity.

‘Creepy’ Ellon pensioner, 79, in court for stalking – again

A creepy Ellon pensioner left a hospital worker so terrified she had to carry a panic alarm after stalking her for five months.

John Willox would regularly and repeatedly drive slowly past the City Hospital on Urquhart Road while the woman was standing outside and would stare at her.

The 79-year-old, who has a previous conviction for stalking, as well as for sexually assaulting a child in his cab while working as a taxi-driver, has now found himself back in court again.

His troubling behaviour by the hospital left his victim frightened for her safety and so scared she had to carry with her a personal panic alarm at all times.

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Careless driver caused A9 crash on Highland honeymoon

A Chinese honeymooner who caused an A9 crash in her hire car has admitted careless driving at Inverness Sheriff Court.

Jianxin Liu was visiting the area with her husband following their recent wedding when she pulled her hired Peugeot into the path of oncoming traffic.

The resulting crash, at the junction of the B851, damaged both vehicles, but the court heard no one was injured.

Liu, 30, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit a single charge of careless driving in relation to the incident on Sunday, October 6.

Woman pretended to be other patients to dupe doctors

An Aberdeen woman carried out an elaborate drugs swindle by going to doctors’ surgeries and pharmacies across the north-east and pretending to be other patients to score strong pain medication.

Roseann Reid, 50, went to 10 health centres on various occasions and assumed the identities of two women in order to fraudulently obtain their prescriptions for naproxen and dihydrocodeine.

She also turned up at different pharmacies across Grampian to collect the drugs in a scam that lasted more than two years.

Reid managed to obtain pain pill prescriptions from doctors in Aberdeen, Peterhead, Banchory and Huntly – often claiming to suffer from kidney stones.

Aberdeen teen had to explain to police why he had axe, skull mask and sex toy in car

An Aberdeen teen caught with an axe in his car also had to explain to police why he had a skull mask and a sex toy.

Liam Beedie, 18, was stopped in a lay-by near Portlethen by police who initially wrongly suspected him of having cannabis.

Officers searched his vehicle and, while they didn’t find any drugs, they did find some unusual items.

The axe was the only item deemed to be illegal, but Aberdeen Sheriff Court also heard about a mask with a skull design and the sex toy.

Aberdeen man held in Colombia over airport cocaine bust

A man from Aberdeen has been arrested after allegedly trying to return to Scotland with a suitcase full of cocaine.

Ricky Grant Courage, believed to be from the Dyce area, was stopped at Rafael Nunez International Airport in Cartagena by sniffer dogs on September 29.

The suitcase was already checked in when it caught the attention of the dogs.

Police then took Mr Courage aside to look inside his bags.

Young footballer caught with hundreds of pounds worth of cocaine

A young footballer who had a “prosperous career” before injury struck has been caught with hundreds of pounds worth of cocaine.

Cameron Ossebi was seen by police wandering around Tillydrone in the early hours of the morning looking lost.

But when officers tried to see if he needed help, the 18-year-old legged it.

He was quickly apprehended and police found bundles of cash and cocaine in his pockets and a sock.

Student will have to take bus after he drove dad’s car at 114mph

A speeding Aberdeen student will now be forced to take the bus after police caught him driving his dad’s electric car at more than 110mph.

Thomas Ralston, 20, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted hitting breakneck speeds on the A90 AWPR.

Police officers were already following a van when Ralston, a design student, tore past them in his dad’s black Polestar.

Fiscal depute Claire Stewart told the court that at around 10am on September 16 last year, police were on patrol in an unmarked police vehicle and were following a van that was doing 90mph on the A90.

Drink-driver struck pedestrian who tried to stop him with door

A drink-driver with two burst tyres caused other cars to take evasive action, left debris all over the road and struck a pedestrian who tried to stop him.

Ian Paterson was more than triple the legal alcohol limit when he was spotted all over the road in Ellon.

The 62-year-old’s driving was so bad, repeatedly striking the kerb and crossing onto the wrong side of the road, that a member of the public approached him and tried to stop him.

But when the pedestrian opened the door, Paterson suddenly reversed back, causing the door to strike him.

Jail warning for Highland church missionary who abused wife

A Highland church missionary who conducted a campaign of domestic abuse against his vulnerable wife received a stern warning from a sheriff that he would be jailed if he offended again.

Sheriff David Harvie described the case involving Donald Morrison, formerly of Old Edinburgh Road in Inverness, as “very disturbing” and said he has “deep concerns” about Morrison and his victim getting back together.

Morrison had been appearing at Inverness Sheriff Court for sentencing after Sheriff Harvie convicted him earlier this summer of abusing and assaulting his wife between November 2022 and November 2023.

He was also found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice by writing templates of emails for his wife trying to get the case against him dropped and also a breach of a special bail condition not to contact her.

Taxi driver banned after seriously injuring cyclist in city centre

A taxi driver has been banned from the road after knocking a cyclist of his bike outside Marischal Square in Aberdeen.

Stephen Bennett, 50, was parked on the pavement at the top of Upperkirkgate after dropping off a fare when he pulled out right in front of the cyclist.

The cyclist, Alan McKay, had come round the corner from the Gallowgate and had no time to react as Bennett, who wasn’t indicating, pulled out.

He was sent flying over the handlebars and suffered a horrific open fracture to his arm.

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Inverness man guilty of attempting to murder his own mother

An Inverness man has been convicted of attempting to murder his own mother in a New Year’s Day attack in her home.

Bruce Davis repeatedly kicked and punched 78-year-old Thomasina McAskill, threw furniture at her, put his arm around her throat restricting her breathing and strangled her with a jumper during the brutal attack on January 1 of last year.

The wheelchair-bound pensioner was found severely injured on the floor of her Smithton Villas home by police officers.

Davis denied the charge throughout a five-day trial at the High Court in Inverness, but was convicted by majority.

Racist lout chased Tesco security guard around Union Street shop

A racist yob chased a Tesco security guard around the shop while threatening to “boot the black out of” him, a court has been told.

John Kissane suddenly became irate when the security guard asked to check the contents of his bag.

The 46-year-old made threatening and racial comments towards the employee and began to chase him around the store.

When a manager tried to separate them, he was pushed to the side and when police became involved Kissane turned his attention to them.

Oban man tried to murder ex in savage hammer attack over unpaid debt

A man who tried to murder his former partner by hitting her repeatedly with a hammer told police he attacked her because she hadn’t repaid a debt, a court heard.

Derek Hughes, 57, struck the woman repeatedly on her head with a hammer on the evening of May 5 2024 at her home in Dunbeg, near Oban.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard today how the woman had to be rushed to hospital in Oban before being transferred to Glasgow for specialist neurological treatment.

Doctors described the injuries sustained by Hughes’ former partner as “life-threatening”.

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