Our reporters have been sitting in courtrooms across the north and north-east this week and covered a wide variety of cases.
Conon Bridge joiner ordered to stay away from ex-wife after campaign of abuse
A self-employed joiner has been ordered to stay away from his ex-wife for the next four years after admitting a course of domestic abuse lasting several years.
Sheriff Gary Aitken told Conon Bridge dad-of-five Mark McKernie, 35, that he should also stay away from alcohol for the good of himself and his family.
Fiscal depute Adelle Gray told Inverness Sheriff Court that McKernie’s behaviour began to deteriorate in 2020 when his wife returned from attending a show in Inverness with family. He questioned who she had been with before demanding proof.
In 2021, he wrenched her mobile phone from her hand so he could inspect it and injured her fingers.
Man threatened pub staff and smashed windscreen after being told he wasn’t being served
A Stonehaven man has avoided a prison sentence after he became so aggressive and angry over not being served in a bar that he stormed outside and smashed the windscreen of a passing car.
Kieran Taylor, 30, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards staff at Sharky’s Bar, Montrose.
It was stated that Taylor informed staff if they didn’t serve him more alcohol, he would “smash” the pub up.
Man, 77, found with 2,000 images of children placed on sex offenders register
A pensioner convicted of possessing more than 2,000 indecent images of children has avoided a prison sentence.
George Campbell, 77, was found unanimously guilty by a jury at Aberdeen Sheriff Court last month of downloading thousands of pictures of children on his home computer.
It was stated by Campbell that he had only used the computer, which was situated in a small home office, to watch news and sport.
Unpaid work for man who kicked partner in stomach at Highland auction
A man who kicked his partner in the stomach at a Highland farm event has been ordered to complete unpaid work in the community.
Iain MacDonald had been drinking before the incident at an auction party at Daviot Farm, during which he also shouted and swore at the woman.
At a sentencing hearing a sheriff also ordered MacDonald to stay away from his now ex-partner for a year.
Banchory armed robber locked up again after flat raid
An armed robber has been jailed for breaking into a flat three weeks before he carried out a terrifying knifepoint raid at a Banchory Co-op.
Ben Kelbie raided the home in Arbroath shortly before his acquisitive offending escalated significantly.
Kelbie appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court by videolink from prison to admit breaking into the flat in the town’s Glenesk Place on February 2 last year, 25 days before his shop raid.
He pled guilty to stealing a games console and cash from inside the property.
‘Reprehensible’ Moray paedophile vigilante who cut brake cables of innocent man’s car avoids prison
A Moray man who cut the brake cables of a car he incorrectly thought belonged to a paedophile has escaped a prison sentence.
Callum Stewart, 25, had been warned jail was on the cards after he admitted tampering with the innocent man’s Dacia Duster that was parked outside a property in Mosstodloch.
Stewart’s defence lawyer Grant Daglish told Sheriff Gary Aitken that it was ” an act fuelled by alcohol and stupidity” but his client was addressing his drinking.
Sheriff Aitken previously told him: “This is borderline attempted murder.”