Our reporters have been sitting in courtrooms across the north and north-east this week and covered a wide variety of cases.
Man assaulted partner before pulling out samurai sword
A domestic abuser has avoided a prison sentence after he assaulted his partner before running upstairs to get a samurai sword.
Richard Flippence attacked the woman without warning and then announced that he was going to “kill everyone” within the house.
The 39-year-old assaulted his partner by slapping her in the face and dragging her to the floor by the hair.
Aberdeen teen who raped vulnerable young girl ‘thinks of himself as the victim’
A young Aberdeen rapist who claimed his victim could have been left “a bit upset” after her ordeal has been locked up for four-and-a-half years.
Ice hockey player Darren Donaldson – who the court was told thinks of himself as the victim – took advantage of the vulnerable teenage girl in Invergowrie, near Dundee, on August 4 2022.
The now 19-year-old, of Dyce, denied the crime, insisting she had consented.
He also claimed the girl and others had conspired against him.
Teenager appears in court on Fort William murder charge
A man has appeared in court charged with stabbing a man to death in Fort William.
Dominiks Andrejevs, 19, is accused of repeatedly attacking 25-year-old Ben Campbell on the body with a knife at his home in Grange Road, last Thursday.
As well as murder, he was also charged with stealing a bottle of wine from the Spar shop, also in Grange Road, on the same day.
Firm fined £40,000 for health and safety failings after retired vicar’s death
A Lewis building firm has been fined £40,000 after admitting health and safety breaches that contributed to the death of a retired vicar as he holidayed in the Hebrides.
Philip Walker, 72, died after he was struck by a loose scaffolding board as he drove his campervan on the A858 near Kirivick.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that the method used to secure the load was deemed “wholly inadequate and unsuitable” by an industry expert.
Peterhead drink-driver was reported by concerned family
A drink-driver who was found to be three times the limit at Peterhead’s Lido assaulted a police officer after trying to speed off.
Donatas Grigas, 21, had been drinking with family during the evening of September 16 this year when he decided to go for a drive.
A concerned relative rang the police after he left the gathering at around 1.20am.
Union Street Attic smash and grab: Man and woman appear in court
Two people have appeared in court after a late-night break-in at Union Street clothing store Attic.
A window was smashed in the incident, which police said happened in the early hours of Thursday last week, and items of clothing were taken.
Heather Brodie, 32, and William McKenzie, 41, have been both charged with theft by housebreaking and appeared in private at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday.
The pair, from Aberdeen, made no plea and were granted bail. They will appear again at a later date.
Teen driver raced through Peterhead before hitting a lorry and crashing into wall
A teen driver raced through Peterhead town centre in the middle of the day before crashing into a lorry and a wall.
A sheriff told Jay Forsyth that he could have easily killed someone but decided against locking him up for his reckless actions.
Peterhead Sheriff Court was told uniformed police spotted Forsyth speeding through the town at around 2pm on July 18 last year.
Environmental campaigners in court to halt two major offshore oil and gas developments
Environmental campaigners have launched a legal challenge seeking to overturn the go-ahead given to two major offshore oil and gas developments.
Greenpeace and Uplift maintain that a UK government decision to grant consent for the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields was unlawful and should be reduced by a judge at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.
Ruth Crawford KC, senior counsel for Greenpeace, said it was agreed that the decisions were unlawful because “downstream” emissions emitted following the use of fuel were not taken into account in environmental impact statements prepared for the proposed developments.
Offshore worker followed vulnerable women home and stripped naked
An offshore worker has been jailed after he followed two vulnerable women home from an Aberdeen pub, entered their home without permission and removed all his clothes.
Anthony Christie stripped naked and touched his private parts in front of the shocked pair, who were first targeted by him as they played pool in an Aberdeen pub.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told former soldier Christie, 44, was so drunk he has no memory of his actions and “misread” the situation.
Masked teenager robbed Elgin drug dealer an knifepoint
A teenager who mugged an Elgin drug dealer has been warned that his young age would soon fail to protect him from a custodial sentence.
Masked Jordan Carnegie, 19, assaulted the man at knifepoint in an Elgin lane and robbed him of his mobile phone – but was caught because his victim recognised his voice.
At an earlier hearing, fiscal depute Alison Young told the court that Carnegie had agreed to meet the man at TK Maxx at 5pm on February 5 this year but phoned him to say he couldn’t make it.
Teen driver, 17, laughed at friend as he begged him to slow down moments before horror crash
A 17-year-old driver laughed in the face of his friend who told him to slow down moments before he crashed and flipped his speeding car into a field.
Aidan Zimmerman, now 20, caused serious injuries to his friends when his Vauxhall Corsa skidded on loose chippings, struck a verge and left the road.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard how Zimmerman gunned the engine to 80mph even as speed restrictions were in place on the A944 due to a road resurfacing.
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Man goes on trial after deadly shooting on Skye
A man accused of murdering his brother-in-law in a shooting on Skye has gone on trial.
Finlay MacDonald is standing trial for the murder of John MacKinnon, 47, at his home in the village of Teangue in August 2022.
Student dealer foiled after police dog sniffs out £8,500 worth of MDMA
A student who arrived in Aberdeen by bus and was caught in possession of £8,500 worth of MDMA has been warned a prison sentence cannot be ruled out.
Jon Ewen, 21, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted being in possession of the stimulant drug, which is similar to ecstasy.
Ewen was stopped by police after they received a tip-off that he had boarded a Megabus from Edinburgh to Aberdeen in possession of the drugs.
Domestic abuser avoids prison after former partner found ‘covered in blood’
A woman answered the door to police covered in blood after she was brutally assaulted in her own home, a court has heard.
Christopher Reid, 38, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted striking the woman’s head off walls and kitchen units after he flew into a violent rage when she asked him to leave her house.
It was stated that the woman’s young son called the police, who heard him begging them to come and help his mum.
When officers arrived, they found blood covering the woman’s face and spattered across the walls.
Man assaulted girlfriend and knelt on her neck until she passed out
A man assaulted his partner and knelt on her neck until she passed out, a court has heard.
William MacFarlane attacked the women in her own home, in an assault that was witnessed by her mother via video call.
When the mother begged MacFarlane to stop, he told her: “I don’t give a f***.”
Abusive man tackled after trying to push past Inverness court security
An abusive man who tried to bypass security at Inverness Justice Centre found himself back in the building after being tackled to the ground.
William Mackenzie told court staff he could not pass through a metal detector for medical reasons – shouting: “F*** off, I’ve got an appointment”.
When staff requested he instead empty his pockets, he refused and pushed past them, before being tackled to the ground.
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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.
Soldier flicked blood over Inverness Airbnb
A soldier flicked his own blood over the walls, carpets, doors and bedding during a destructive fit of rage at an Inverness Airbnb.
Jaq Hodgson also smashed two light fittings and a television in the incident, which caused more than £7,000 worth of damage.
A sheriff called his behaviour “a ridiculously violent display”.
Driver stopped after 18th birthday celebration was more than twice the limit
A young woman got pulled over for drink-driving just three hours after it became legal for her to have alcohol.
Erin Duncan had been out in Aberdeen city centre celebrating her 18th birthday when she made the “stupid decision” to drink-drive home at 3am.
Duncan, a trainee electrical engineer, was stopped by police as she crossed Victoria Bridge on her way home to Cove and was found to be more than twice the legal alcohol limit.
The 18-year-old was disqualified from driving and fined by a sheriff at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
Elgin postman admits drink-driving in delivery van
An Elgin postman has been convicted of drink-driving in his delivery van.
Gregor Gilchrist, 46, was spotted driving around the town on the morning of March 11 this year sparking an anonymous complaint to police.
Fiscal Sharon Ralph told Elgin Sheriff Court that officers quickly traced Gilchrist on Riverside Road and pulled him over, just after 10.30am, explaining the reason why he had been stopped.
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