Our reporters have been sitting in courtrooms across the north and north-east this week and covered a wide variety of cases.
Aberdeen thug caged after ‘cruel’ attack on man in Elgin caught on camera
A brute who was caught on camera stomping on a man’s head several times during a savage attack has been jailed for just over a year.
Scott Ironside also repeatedly kicked his victim’s head and face and slapped him while making threats to kill the stricken man.
Inverness Sheriff Court saw a video of the 24-year-old thug who appeared to be “relishing” his violent outburst.
The shocking footage was shown at a previous hearing following a guilty plea by Ironside.
Pensioner’s careless driving left motorcyclist with life-threatening injuries
A pensioner’s careless driving caused a crash that left a motorcyclist with life-threatening injuries, a court has heard.
Robert Macrae admitted failing to maintain an adequate observation before he pulled his into the path of a Suzuki rider on the B9101 at Geddes.
The biker came off his machine and suffered serious injuries, including pelvic fractures.
Pro-Palestine protestor locked up following Home Bargains demonstration
A pro-Palestinian protestor has been remanded in custody following her arrest at an Aberdeen Home Bargains store.
Six people were arrested at Home Bargains on Aberdeen’s Beach Boulevard on Saturday as they demonstrated against the selling of Israeli goods.
Willemien Hoogendoorn, 62, appeared from custody at Aberdeen Sheriff Court today accused of one breach of the peace and failing to give her name to police officers.
Fine for New Pitsligo mechanic who wrecked another driver’s car
A New Pitsligo man has been spared a driving ban after causing a two-car crash last year.
Peterhead Sheriff Court heard that Aiden Wilson, 20, was on his way to work in Peterhead when a flat tyre forced him into a layby on the A950 road near Mintlaw.
After calling his dad for help, he attempted to manoeuvre his car back towards home and it was then another motorist collided with him, writing off the other vehicle.
Fraserburgh man caught with shoplifting partner handed supervision order
A man who once stole an ambulance and took it on a joyride has been told it would be “beneficial” to both him and the community if he was supervised by the social work department for the next nine months.
Graham Ellis, 44, appeared at Peterhead Sheriff Court after he admitted acting in an abusive manner towards a Lidl security guard, who had caught his former partner shoplifting.
The pair had been in the Lang Stracht branch of the supermarket chain when they were accused of shoplifting in May last year.
Fiscal depute Claire Stewart told the court they were eventually let go after Ellis became abusive.
Aberdeen pensioner sexually abused children at caravan park
An Aberdeen pensioner has been convicted of sexually abusing four young children at a caravan park over a 30-year period.
John Gibson, 79, violated three girls and a boy at Pettycur Bay Holiday Park at Kinghorn, Fife, between 1996 and 2015.
Gibson, of Oldcroft Road in Aberdeen, was convicted by a jury of five charges after a trial at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.
He was remanded in custody and put on the sex offenders register.
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Aberdeen labourer jailed after cannabis gummies prank sends colleague to hospital
An Aberdeen labourer has been jailed after he handed out cannabis-laced sweets to unsuspecting co-workers on an Aberdeen building site.
Albert Damean later admitted he gave his fellow workers the gummies “for a bit of banter” but his victims did not see the funny side.
One had such a severe reaction to the drug that he was rushed to hospital and doctors, who were perplexed by the symptoms, carried out a lumbar puncture to rule out a brain bleed.
Ellon man fined for ‘gratuitous’ violence near Peterhead bar
An Ellon man who got involved in a late-night scuffle has been fined for stamping on someone as they were lying on the ground.
Jordan Fraser appeared at Peterhead Sheriff Court for sentencing after he previously admitted to assaulting a man near a Chapel Street bar in the port in 2022.
A co-accused, Andrew Forman, was also in the dock during the hearing but will not be sentenced for his part until next month.
Teen who fractured victim’s skull gets unpaid work … after saying he’d be violent if given unpaid work
A teen attacker who fractured his victim’s skull with a wrench has been handed unpaid work – despite openly admitting he “would become violent” if given the punishment.
Lewis Wood was just 17 when he put on a balaclava and struck the man on the head with the metal weapon before telling his unconscious victim: “Ha ha – I knocked you clean cold.”
Wood – who the court was told has “a predilection to violence” and has been treated in Cornhill for psychotic episodes – told social workers that he would be “unwilling” to do unpaid work and “will fight” if ordered to comply.
Knife-wielding home intruder jailed after terrifying Inverness family
An Inverness family suffered a terrifying ordeal when a stranger barged into their home with a knife and turned violent.
Ellis Williams confronted a mum and her children in the kitchen of their flat at Riverside Court on the evening of August 29, 2024.
The 22-year-old knife-wielding intruder appeared to be under the influence of something, Inverness Sheriff Court was told.
Man accused of stabbing person in the neck during Inverness incident
A 47-year-old man has appeared in court accused of attempted murder after an alleged stabbing in Inverness.
Mark Macdonald allegedly stabbed John Mackay in the neck at a flat in the city’s Tomnahurich Street on Thursday, February 13.
Mr Mackay, 51, was taken to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness and is believed
to have been treated for a severed artery. He has since been discharged.
Domestic abuser who also turned his violence on four defenceless dogs is jailed
An unrepentant domestic abuser who turned his violence upon his partner’s defenceless dogs has been jailed for more than a year.
Pawel Lukaszewicz, 37, carried out a horrific catalogue of violence upon his former partner over a four-year period, where he threatened to kill her on several occasions in Aberdeen.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard how Lukaszewicz called the woman a series of derogatory names, slammed her arm in a door and shoved her to the ground, causing a head injury.
Trio in Aberdeen dock for bloody hatchet assault
Three people who admitted attacking a man with a hatchet have avoided jail at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
Elizabeth Milne, 30, Richie Milne, 34, and Darren Small, 35, all pled guilty to one charge of assault.
The incident took place on July 20 last year at an address in the Seaton area of Aberdeen, where a man, who is not being named for legal reasons, was attacked by the trio with a small axe.
Man, 42, in court over £300,000 Inverurie cannabis seizure
A man has appeared in court after almost £300,000 of cannabis was seized from a property in Inverurie.
The six-figure sum of cannabis was recovered from the home in the Birch Drive area of the Aberdeenshire town.
Police Scotland said the drugs, valued at up to £296,460, were found during the bust at around 9.10pm on Monday February 17.
Vo Van Quang, 42, appeared in private at Aberdeen Sheriff Court in connection with the seizure.
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Inverness armed robber targeted delivery men, women and children
A teenager armed himself with a baseball bat, hammer and screwdriver and targeted women and children during a robbery rampage in Inverness.
Among Daniel Krugolek’s four victims was a 13-year-old boy, who was attacked with a baseball bat, Inverness Sheriff Court was told.
A man also had a screwdriver pointed at his neck and Krugolek told him chillingly: “It’s your car or your life.”
Krugolek, whose address was given as Inverness Prison, was 19 when he committed three of his offences with another three carried out days after his 20th
birthday on August 2 last year.
Fraserburgh shoplifter to take care of herself after funding partner’s habit with thefts
A Fraserburgh shoplifter has been given some stark relationship advice after a sheriff was told she was committing crime to support her partner.
Rebecca Whyte, 36, appeared at Peterhead Sheriff Court facing seven charges of stealing items from supermarkets in her hometown.
In incidents stretching from September last year to last Saturday, Whyte stole electrical items and food from Asda on Watermill Road and the Co-op on Albert Street.
HMP Grampian attacker sent down despite last-ditch attempt to sack solicitor
A prisoner of HMP Grampian who tried to accuse his solicitor of coercion has been locked up for another nine months.
Grant McDonald, Samuel Lowton and Connor McVey appeared at Peterhead Sheriff Court for sentencing after they each admitted their parts in attacking a fellow prisoner three years ago.
McDonald, 43, however, attempted to have his plea changed at the last minute following a disagreement with his defence agent, Leonard Burkinshaw.
Aberdeen man rang for ambulance after slashing drinking buddy’s neck
An Aberdeen knife attacker savagely wounded his drinking pal before calling emergency services and telling police: “It was me that done it”.
Edward Clark, 61, slashed Jason Duncan across his forehead and neck with a blade at the victim’s home and then sought help for the injured man.
Clark admitted assaulting Mr Duncan, 53, to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of his life on December 10 last year at an address at Middle Brae, Aberdeen, by striking him on the head and neck with a knife.
Inverness attack victim, 71, tells carjackers who battered him: ‘GTA is not real life’
An Inverness businessman has accused the two thugs who viciously attacked him of treating real life like Grand Theft Auto.
Master chocolatier Lucas Story arrived in Inverness from Belgium almost a quarter of a century ago and built up a popular business – Story Chocolates – with his wife Ingrid.
But the 71-year-old last month had to shut down the successful firm as a result of the ongoing trauma caused by thugs Callum Ross and Matthew Bell, who hijacked his work van while high on drugs and viciously beat him up.
Man locked up for growing £200,000 of cannabis in Peterhead
A man has been locked up for more than two years after officers raided a Peterhead property and found £200,000 of cannabis.
Te Van Nguyen appeared at Peterhead Sheriff Court for sentencing after he pleaded guilty to being involved in the cultivation of the drug in August 2023.
The court heard how Van Nguyen, posing as “Tim”, came across the Abbotswell Road property on Gumtree and handed its owner £1,400 as a deposit and first month’s rent to secure a base for his drug operation.
Violent thug back behind bars after armed robbery in Aberdeen shop
A violent thug has been sent back to jail following an armed robbery at an Aberdeen shop.
Terrance Masson, also known as Stewart, was out on licence last September when he went into the Premier Store on Gallowgate armed with a knife.
Masson, 34, had been released just weeks prior, but the court heard he had quickly fallen back into drug misuse which he claims sparked his behaviour.
St Combs man fined for bringing hammer to a fight
A St Combs man has been fined for brandishing a hammer during a confrontation in a north-east town.
Colin Watson, of West Street, found himself collared by police officers in Fraserburgh on March 5 last year after they witnessed him with the weapon.
The court heard the fisherman had been carrying out repairs earlier in the day and brought his arsenal of tools with him when asked to attend a house on Manse Street in the port.
Drink and drug driver avoids jail after horror A95 crash
A motorist has been handed a lengthy ban and an £8,225 fine after he and his passenger almost died in a drink and cocaine-fuelled car crash.
Jay Milne, 23, was already disqualified from driving when he got behind the wheel of the Mercedes 350 after a night of partying in Aviemore.
The car’s owner, Timothy Kumar, had only just met Milne but handed him the keys to his high-performance vehicle and they took off along the A95.
Aberdeen woman who left cat to starve narrowly avoids prison sentence
An Aberdeen woman who left a cat to starve has been banned from keeping animals.
Emma Law, 38, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where she admitted causing her pet – called Minion – unnecessary suffering by leaving it with no food or water for more than a week.
The court heard when SSPCA officers found the cat it was almost at death’s door and unable to walk or support itself.
Aberdeen Insta-drug dealer jailed after clothes matched to videos
A drug dealer who used Instagram and the Telegram messaging app to advertise cocaine and amphetamines for sale has been jailed.
John Gallagher, 35, used social media apps to make money from drug users across Aberdeen.
The police linked the accounts with Gallagher by matching his clothes with the ones worn in video clips which they also identified had been recorded in his home.