Our reporters have been sitting in courtrooms across the north and north-east this week and covered a wide variety of cases.
‘Lonely old man’ sexually assaulted women
A “lonely old man” sexually assaulted two women who took pity on him in a Buckie pub.
The women thought James Farquhar, 69, of Crown Terrace, Portgordon, was just a lonely pensioner, but he turned out to be a convicted sex offender who went on to target them as well.
Farquhar appeared by video link from Inverness Prison to admit both sex offences which occurred in the bar and a Buckie house on November 4, 2021.
Serial rapist jailed for decade
A serial rapist was labelled “a danger to women” and jailed for 10 years for a series of attacks against females.
Sean Hartley, 34, was told by judge Lord Mulholland that he was a violent “abuser of women”.
Hartley, from Morayshire, admitted three rapes of three separate women, a series of assaults including an incident in Burghead in 2009 when he pushed a fourth woman onto a cooker, and the domestic abuse of a fifth woman.
‘I’ll chop someone’s head off’
A man who was wielding a machete in Aberdeen told officers he would “chop someone’s head off” unless they arrested him.
Stephen Morris, 48, phoned the police himself and demanded that officers come to an address in the Rosemount area of the city as he was frightened of what he might do.
When officers attended at an address on Watson Street, Morris told them: “If you don’t lock me up I’ll kill someone.”
His solicitor told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that Morris was hearing “voices in his head”.
Man in court accused of attempted murders
A 48-year-old man has appeared in private at Inverness Sheriff Court on charges of attempting to murder two people.
Ronald Grant, of Inverness, also faced an allegation of vandalism.
It follows a Police Scotland statement that a man “had been apprehended following an incident at Kintail Court on Friday, May 6, where a vehicle struck a pedestrian”.
Grant made no plea, was committed for further examination and released on bail.
Man, 20, assaulted police
An aggressive drunk who headbutted and spat at police officers has been warned he’s at an “age and stage” where he must turn his life around.
John Gerrard has been warned he faces prison if he fails to address his alcohol and drug use while he is still young.
The 20-year-old appeared at Aberdeen Sherriff Court after admitting the vile behaviour towards police officers called to his city flat to deal with a disturbance there.
£120,000 cannabis haul found in car
A man has appeared in court after police found £120,000 worth of cannabis in a car in Aberdeen.
Adrian Greedy appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court facing one charge of being concerned in the supply of a controlled drug and a second charge of possession of drugs.
The 34-year-old appeared in private and made no plea during the hearing.
Topless drunk caught peeing in shop doorway
A topless man caught urinating in a city centre shop doorway hurled abuse at passersby and made sexual comments to police.
Marc McKenzie lives under a court order prohibiting him from being drunk or disorderly anywhere within a public space in Aberdeen.
But the 39-year-old breached that order and was lifted by police after he was found topless and “squaring up” to members of the public on Union Street on Saturday night.
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Bail breaker’s heavy breathing gives away hiding place
A man ordered to keep away from his girlfriend’s Aberdeen home was caught hiding under a bed after police heard his “heavy breathing”.
Daniel Robertson was caught breaching a court bail order after police were called to a disturbance and reports of a woman screaming and crying within a home at Wallfield Place.
When they arrived they found the 37-year-old waste management worker hiding under the bed and breathing loudly, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
Robertson spent the night behind bars and appeared in the dock from custody.
Man bared bum after women ignored him
A drunk who tried to chat to two women outside an Inverness bar dropped his trousers and bared his buttocks when they ignored him.
Steven Little, of Duncraig Street, Inverness, did not take the rejection well and quickly found himself arrested and charged with public indecency.
The 30-year-old appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court and admitted the offence which occurred outside the Caledonian Bar in High Street, on July 19 2020.
Man posted intimate photos of woman on social media
A man found guilty at trial of sending indecent images and making threats to rape a woman has avoided imprisonment.
Ovidiu Pirva also shared intimate photos of the woman by phone messages and by posting them on social media.
He sent the photos to a child and also made threats to rape their mother and sister in another message.
The 28-year-old denied the offences, which happened on January 20 2018 at an address in Aberdeen.
Elgin man jailed for terrifying rape of teen
An Elgin man has been placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely and jailed after being convicted of the terrifying rape of a teenager.
Luke Clarkson only stopped the attack when the 18-year-old woman grabbed him by the throat.
Clarkson, formerly of Elgin, was asked to stop during the sexual assault but continued to force himself upon the woman until she took physical action.
Judges overturn £290,000 compensation award
Senior judges have overturned a decision which forced a shipping company to pay £290,000 compensation to the son of a diver who perished in tragic circumstances.
Judge Lord Sandison awarded the sum to nine-year-old Vincent Warner in a judgement delivered in September 2021 at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.
His mother Debbie raised an action on Vincent’s behalf at Scotland’s highest civil court regarding how his dad Lex lost his life off Cape Wrath in the north coast of Scotland in August 2012.
Chef tried to urinate on doctor
A chef who drank himself unconscious while lamenting the fact that Boris Johnson had won the General Election has been fined more than £1,000 for trying to urinate on a doctor.
Faris Hussein and his workmates were drowning their sorrows over fears that they might be deported following news of the Conservative landslide on December 12 2019.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard the 37-year-old got so drunk an ambulance was called to take him to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI).
When a doctor went to check on Hussein the following morning he found him urinating in the ward.
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Elgin businessman was almost four times the drink-drive limit
A Moray businessman has been banned from the road after being caught driving while almost four times the drink-drive limit.
Former hospitality boss Aaron McGettrick came to the attention of police as they saw his Ford Focus driving at speed on Elgin’s Meadow Crescent.
When pulled over at 1am on December 14 2020, the officers suspected McGettrick was under the influence and a breath test confirmed he was over the limit.
Man secretly smuggled 16 wraps of cocaine into police cell
A man who was arrested over a bail breach has been caught in a police cell with more than £300 worth of cocaine.
Daniel Robertson was snared by officers on Sunday night when his heavy breathing gave away that he was hiding under a bed after he had breached a bail order.
While Robertson was kept in custody at Kittybrewster Police Station officers spotted him acting suspiciously on CCTV and went to inspect his cell.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard police found him with 16 wraps of cocaine and a pipe.
Man caught trying to steal bottles of alcohol from fire-hit restaurant
A man who was caught in the act while attempting to steal alcohol from a fire-damaged Aberdeen restaurant has been handed community service.
Marc Milne was discovered by police within Valentino’s on Carden Place weeks after a fire had ripped through the popular Aberdeen restaurant.
When the 26-year-old was searched officers found eight bottles of “fire-damaged” alcohol in his possession, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
Devout Catholic pulled handgun on Mormon
A man pointed a handgun at two missionaries from the Mormon Church after they knocked at his door to spread the word about their religion.
The terrified missionaries fled when Robert Sacawa pulled out what turned out to be a replica of a Colt 9mm automatic pistol which could not be fired.
The 42-year-old told them he would not be swayed from his Catholic faith before producing the non-lethal BB gun, which can only fire pellets, and waving it around.
Relief over not guilty murder verdict
A man accused of murdering his friend during a drunken altercation has been found not guilty after a trial at the High Court in Inverness.
Bruce Rothwell had denied the charge, saying that he acted in self-defence and “lashed out” at Thomas McTeir after the man struck him over the head with something “hard and heavy”.
The four day trial in Inverness had heard how Mr Rothwell himself dialled 999 on June 13, 2020 while his friend lay foaming at the mouth on the floor of his home in Barrogill Street, Wick.
Car crash driver handed fine
A driver who was behind the wheel of a disabled vehicle has been fined after he pulled out into the middle of a dual carriageway and caused a crash.
Gair Mackay, 71, drove across lanes on the A92 near Portlethen which resulted in his car colliding with another vehicle – and him with broken ribs and a ruptured spleen.
The couple who were in the car Mackay collided with were also taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after sustaining minor injuries.
This was just one of the cases covered in out weekly Justice of the Peace Court round-up.
Woman stole money from blind man
A woman who stole money from a blind man at a cash machine has been handed a two-month curfew.
Vicki O’Neil jumped in and grabbed the £50 as it was ejected from the ATM at an Aberdeen Spar convenience store, the city’s sheriff court was told.
Her victim, who is registered blind, was withdrawing the cash to use in the Rosemount Viaduct store when O’Neil, 39, pounced.
Threats to ram wheelchair at carers
An abusive and wheelchair-bound drunk told carers he’d make their night a “living hell” before threatening to “ram” his electric wheelchair into their legs.
John Nicol was being helped by two members of staff at his temporary home in sheltered accommodation after they found him drunk and being sick,” Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
But in return for their care, the 70-year-old gave them a barrage of abuse.
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Man threatened to ‘slice up’ police with bunch of keys
A man caught out and about in town when he was meant to be under a curfew told his arresting officers he would “slice them up”.
Gary Milne was spotted at 3.20am breaching his court-ordered curfew on February 22 this year.
Despite putting his hood up when he spotted police, officers recognised him and knew right away he was breaching his nighttime curfew, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
School worker drove while still over the limit after a ‘big session’
A school catering worker was still two-and-a-half times the drink-drive limit the day after a “big session”.
Steven Masson was spotted by police mounting the verge and swerving on the wrong side of the road.
The 60-year-old, who works at Meldrum Primary School, told the court he thought he would be safe to drive again at 5pm the following day.
Man reported himself to police after assault on wife
A man who assaulted his wife at an Aberdeen hotel then called the police and reported the incident himself.
Kamalan Mariapann, 37, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and admitted striking his wife at a Travelodge and throwing a plastic bottle full of liquid at her.
He then picked up the phone and called the police to report what he had done.
The couple had booked a hotel stay while their house in Stonehaven was being renovated.
Inverness sub-postmaster talks of theft accusation at Horizon inquiry
A former Inverness sub-postmaster has told an inquiry that the Post Office’s faulty IT system ruined his life after it suggested he had stolen thousands of pounds from the business.
Peter Worsfold, 77, was sacked in 2002 after auditors claimed up to £3,000 was unaccounted for at his branch in Muirtown.
But the financial problems were not caused by dishonesty but instead the Post Office Ltd’s flawed accounting software, called Horizon.
Couple embroiled in bitter legal fight over custody of dog
A north-east dog is at the centre of a bitter legal battle after its owners split up and could not agree where she should live.
Julie Smith and Gordon Duncan bought beloved pet Martha for £1,200 three years ago and she lived with them and another dog called Stella.
But when the couple’s relationship soured a year later, a dispute flared up over Martha’s permanent ownership.
Woman embezzled over £8,500 to pay credit card debts
An Aberdeen leasing manager made up false statements at home in order to con her company out of more than £8,500 after wracking up credit card debts.
Laura Downie committed the “gross breach of trust” while working as a leasing manager for legal firm Ledingham Chalmers.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told the 43-year-old mum would take money from clients without paying the cash into the company bank account.
Drink-driving personal trainer loses his licence
A personal trainer who made the “catastrophic” decision to drink-drive after a night out has been banned from the road and handed a hefty fine.
Christopher Terry had been drinking and socialising in Inverurie and got behind the wheel when one of his friends released she’d left her purse in a bar.
The self-employed trainer was pulled over by police at 2am after they spotted him parked on double-yellow lines.
Officers noted his “watery eyes” and boozy breath straight away, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
Drink-driver loses appeal against prison sentence
A “reckless” drink-driving lorry driver who swerved between lanes on the A90 while more than four times the limit has lost an appeal against his jail sentence.
Timothy Humphreys was locked up for six months and also banned from driving for three years and seven months in January.
He was witnessed struggling to control the HGV he was driving between Stracathro and Stonehaven during the evening of November 21 last year.
Speeding holidaymaker hit 100mph on the NC500
A Dutch holidaymaker has admitted careless driving after being clocked doing speeds of more than 100mph on the NC500.
Steven van der Stroom was enjoying his 23rd holiday in Scotland when he was caught speeding on the popular tourist route.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that Van der Stroom often drives classic cars on his travels, but on this occasion he was tackling the road trip in his “normal” car.
Head chef drove pal home while double the legal limit
An Aberdeen head chef who was caught driving early in the morning while still over the limit from the night before has been banned from the road.
Damian Baranski came to the attention of the police when they saw him travelling along Golf Road.
When pulled over at around 6am on April 11 2021, officers found him smelling “strongly of alcohol”, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
Delivery driver who drove while on drugs loses job
A delivery driver who got behind the wheel of his car while under the influence of cocaine has been banned from the roads.
Szymon Gawarecki was stopped by patrolling officers when he was driving his red Ford along the B993 Elphinstone Road in Inverurie.
When pulled over at around 10.30pm on October 6 2021 officers carried out a saliva sample that detected cocaine in his system, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
Man who killed Moray pensioner in crash handed jail term
A drink-driver who killed a “much-loved” Moray great-grandmother in a horrific crash was jailed for four years today.
Shaun Munro ploughed into Katrina Smith’s car after going onto the wrong side of the road at the A96 Brodie to Forres route in Moray.
A judge told him: “You pled guilty to the very serious offence of causing the death of Katrina Smith by driving dangerously and whilst under the influence of alcohol.”
Serial drink-driver jailed
A marine tank cleaner has been jailed after being convicted of drink-driving – for the FOURTH time.
Gordon Webster was spotted staggering along Don Street clearly under the influence of alcohol before getting into a car and driving off.
A witness alerted police who quickly traced Webster parked up in the vehicle on Seaton Road.
A breath test then revealed he was more than three times the legal alcohol limit.
Students who left clubbers in hospital celebrate after being let off
Three Aberdeen students who took part in a vicious street attack have walked free from court after a sheriff said the conviction would have a “disproportionate impact” on their lives and future careers.
The University of Aberdeen’s Mohammad Hassan, 22, Luke Dragic, 21, and Paul Elliott, 21, admitted assaulting two men outside ATIK nightclub.
One victim hit his head on a kerb as a result of the attack and both victims had to be taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
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