Our reporters have been sitting in courtrooms across the north and north-east this week and covered a wide variety of cases.
Jail for Aberdeen man who robbed nine-year-old boy of e-scooter
A man has been jailed after he stole an electric scooter from a nine-year-old boy in Aberdeen.
Peter Garland, 32, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted grabbing the scooter from the child at the Mastrick shopping precinct.
Garland asked the boy if he could have a “shot” of his e-scooter – and when the child declined he pushed him off of it and rode away.
Diageo fined £537,000 after Elgin distillery worker suffers horror burns
A whisky distillery worker suffered burns to 30% of his body after being scalded by boiling liquid in a horror workplace accident.
Michael Thomson was working at Glenlossie Distillery near Elgin when an incorrectly fitted valve burst off, causing 10,000 litres of 104°C hot pot ale to engulf him.
Mr Thomson spent two weeks in intensive care and a period in an induced coma following the industrial accident on March 24 2021.
Man locked up for six years after admitting Fraserburgh dagger death
A drug dealer who took a man’s life by stabbing him 13 times with a dagger during a violent row in Fraserburgh has been locked up for six years.
Alfie Whelan, 21, assaulted Michael Jenkins, 24, at the assailant’s Broch flat on June 4 last year.
The High Court heard how Mr Jenkins, a fishing boat worker, stumbled out of the property into the street covered in blood and screamed for help from passersby.
However, he collapsed and succumbed to his injuries.
Man who murdered Highlands community champion launches appeal bid from his jail cell
The son of a community champion murdered in the Highlands has criticised his killer’s appeal bid.
Michael Joyce was last month found guilty of the brutal murder of former nurse Michael White in Kyle of Lochalsh in April 2023.
The 33-year-old had tried to make it look like Michael, 61, had taken his own life – but his callous lies were exposed when a postmortem showed severe injuries on Michael’s body and detectives began a murder probe.
Insch man avoids jail after ignoring ASBO banning him from drinking in public
A man breached an ASBO banning him from being drunk and disorderly in Aberdeenshire when he was caught carrying a knife in Insch.
Christopher Ettles, 38, was given the Anti-Social Behaviour Order in 2021 at Banff Sheriff Court.
Appearing at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, Ettles admitted breaching the order by going into Insch’s Commercial Hotel when drunk and then acting in an alarming manner on July 5 last year.
White footprints led police to Banff firestarter
A man who attempted to start a fire outside the home of a Banff couple was caught after police followed a set of white footprints on the ground.
Damian Kucharski, 41, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted getting drunk and initially setting his sofa ablaze, which spread to other parts of his property.
As police were putting out the fire at his flat, Kucharski walked across town and started a second fire in a wheelie bin outside a couple’s home.
Man fined over attack on former Aberdeen player during pub brawl
A former Aberdeen player was left bloodied after being punched during a pub fight.
Former Scotland international Kevin McNaughton was injured in the attack at the Club Bar in Dundee.
William Buchanan, 38, admitted assaulting Mr McNaughton during the argument in the Union Street pub.
Serial siege man jailed again after latest Highland police stand-off
Police from the Highlands, Aberdeen and the Isle of Skye were involved in a three-hour siege in Easter Ross after a “Jekyll and Hyde character” barricaded himself into a house and set several fires.
A total of 18 police officers, five specialists, an ambulance and three Scottish Fire and Rescue Service units were involved in the stand-off at John McDonald’s mum’s home in Parkland Place, Balintore, on the night of August 19 this year.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that McDonald, 45, has several previous convictions for similar offences going back five years where he would barricade himself in Tain and Balintore properties and start fires.
Highland touring park owner threw table at partner during row
The boss of a Highland touring park has admitted assault after throwing a table at his partner in the bar of the business they owned together.
Timothy Reed’s victim called 999 after the incident, which was caught on CCTV.
His solicitor told the court Reed had been “working round the clock” while his partner went “on various holidays” leading to the argument.
Man on attempted murder charge after Alness shop stabbing
A 22-year-old has appeared in court on an attempted murder charge after a man was allegedly stabbed in the neck at an Alness corner shop.
Anthony Brogan, of Conon Bridge, is accused of, while acting with others meantime unknown, to have struck the man on the neck with a knife or similar bladed instrument to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and danger of life.
He made no plea when he appeared in private at Inverness Sheriff Court to face the charge, alleged to have taken place in the Morrison’s Daily store in Coulhill Road, Alness, on Sunday, December 15 this year.
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Dangerous Aberdeen paedophile jailed AGAIN after he was found with toddler murder video
An infamous serial paedophile who was due to be released from prison has been jailed for a further year and a half after he was found with sick videos showing the murder of a toddler.
Jordan Gall, 29, was brought from prison to appear at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, where he was sentenced over 11 additional charges, including having indecent images of children and breaching his sex offender’s order.
Gall – who has frequently appeared in court in connection with possessing indecent images of children – had more than 93 hours of illegal videos on his phone.
Killer who tortured friend before Aberdeen high-rise plunge jailed for eight years
A killer who abducted and tortured his friend who later plunged to his death from a 12th-storey Aberdeen flat has been jailed for eight years.
Lee Smith, 37, was locked up on Wednesday for taking the life of Jamie Forbes, also 37.
The High Court in Edinburgh was told Smith held Mr Forbes against his will at the offender’s flat in Elphinstone Court on January 14 and January 15 2024.
Highland rapist who preyed on five different women behind bars
A Highland serial sex attacker who put five women through horror ordeals has been jailed for a minimum 10 years – but warned his release “is a long way off”.
Derek MacKay, 38, had earlier been convicted of 25 charges including the rape of four of the victims.
A judge hailed the “bravery” of the women for reporting how they had suffered after escaping MacKay’s clutches.
The crimes occurred between 2005 and 2020 in the Highlands, Aberdeen and Glasgow.
Construction firm fined £860,000 after Tain man’s windfarm death
The principal contractor of a Shetland windfarm has been fined £860,000 over the tragic death of a 23-year-old Highland man.
Liam MacDonald, from Tain, died at the Viking construction site on 5 June 2022 while working for BAM Nuttall.
He was killed when the bale arm of a skip crushed him while he was cleaning concrete off the inside.
Turriff child sex predator back in court after targeting 14-year-old girl
A convicted sex offender who was once branded a “menace” to teenage girls has appeared in court again after he sent naked images of himself to a 14-year-old.
Stewart Barclay was 21 when he asked the child to be his girlfriend and began to send her crude messages, naked photographs and a short video of him pleasuring himself.
Fiscal depute Alison Wylie told Inverness Sheriff Court that the girl continually told Barclay that she did not want to see material like that and it was “grossing her out.”
Aberdeen stalker who absconded from prison to go drinking won’t be punished
The victim of a terrifying stalker who absconded from prison to go boozing in Aberdeen has hit out at a sheriff’s decision not to punish him.
Scott Emslie, who was jailed earlier this year for the “sinister” and relentless torment of a woman he had briefly dated, had been granted day release from his open prison to attend an appointment with social workers.
The 31-year-old former offshore worker travelled to the Aberdeen for the meeting but instead of returning to Tayside as promised he joined a family member “for a couple of drinks”.
Former Huntly squaddie subjected partner to five years of violence and abuse
A former soldier who subjected his partner to a shocking five-year catalogue of domestic abuse has been ordered to stay away from her.
Mark Rigby appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted frequent drunken violent outbursts and verbal assaults on the woman – even letting force a volley of verbal put-downs on the day of her father’s funeral.
It was stated that the 50-year-old throttled the woman on a number of occasions and verbally abused her while she worked in a Huntly bar, with Rigby became progressively drunk and belligerent.
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Aberdeen painter blames bad Thai cocaine on murder threats to ex-partner
An Aberdeen man on holiday in Thailand has claimed bad cocaine made him tell a woman he’d briefly dated she was “woke” before threatening to kill her.
John Millar, 40, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted sending his ex more than 150 abusive voice messages, which included racism and murder threats.
It was stated that Millar – a painter and decorator – made various racist slurs against Muslims before telling the woman he would “cave their skulls in”.
Victims’ anger as foster carer who sexually and physically abused children given rare sentence
A twisted foster carer who abused five children in his care has been given a rare type of sentence due to the unique circumstances of the case.
William Morrice sexually, physically and mentally abused the children aged four to 15 from the 1970s to 2003.
The 81-year-old’s late wife Sandra was an accomplice in some of the offending, which took place at the couple’s homes in Bucksburn and Bridge of Don.
Morrice tied a four-year-old girl to a bed and performed sex acts on another when she was just five.
Inverness hotel handbag thief unmasked after CCTV posted on Facebook
A thief who helped himself to a hotel receptionist’s handbag found himself in the dock after his crime was caught on camera.
Juan Collar was seen on CCTV as he stole the bag from behind the reception desk of the Columba Hotel on Ness Walk on December 11.
Two days later he also targeted staff at Johnny Foxes and Lucky Bowl in the city – stealing mobile phones in incidents that were also filmed by security systems.
Fort Augustus MS sufferer locked up for Christmas after sending threats to estranged wife
A multiple sclerosis sufferer who sent hundreds of offensive and menacing messages to his estranged wife after she stopped caring for him will spend Christmas behind bars.
Sheriff Gary Aitken decided to revoke 44-year-old Jonathon Clay’s bail and remand him in custody until January 30 after hearing about the vile nature of the communications over a three-month period.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that Clay, of Abertarff Place, Fort Augustus, ignored court orders not to contact his wife after he was first charged with sending her indecent, obscene or menacing messages between August 10 and August 12 this year.
He told police on being charged: “They were just words. I went a bit far.”
Inverness domestic abuser locked up and branded ‘danger to women’
An Inverness man who savagely attacked his partner and tried to throttle her has been jailed for 37 months and branded “a danger to women”.
It is the second time in the space of weeks that William MacFarlane has been jailed, after he was sentenced to 40 months behind bars on November 4 for kicking the same woman’s head “like a football”.
MacFarlane, 25, previously admitted a single charge of assault to injury and danger of life – which took place on June 20 2023 – at Inverness Sheriff Court and re-appeared before Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald for sentence.
Fiscal depute Susan Love told the court that it was around 8pm when the pair began to argue.
Man took advantage of drunk young woman and raped her in Aberdeen flat
A vile rapist who pretended to be a “good Samaritan” in order to lure a drunk girl back to his Aberdeen home has been jailed for five years.
Diego Valdivieso, 30, offered the young woman his bed at his home in Aberdeen’s Rosemount area on October 9 2022 before taking advantage of her.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard on Friday how Valdivieso found the young woman in the city’s Union Street intoxicated and confused about where she was.
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