Our reporters have been sitting in courtrooms across the north and north-east this week and covered a wide variety of cases.
Serial thief stole Uber Eats delivery driver’s car
A serial car thief is back behind bars after stealing a car from an Uber Eats delivery driver and taking it on a 52-mile joyride to Forfar.
Gerard Graham jumped into the vehicle while the driver was making a delivery and drove it all the way to Angus – where he crashed it into a building.
Two days later he helped himself to another car in Forfar and drove it back up to the north-east where he led police on a high-speed chase which ended in another crash, this time with a tree.
Dad reports drink-driving son
A drink-driver who drove to a car wash nearly three times the alcohol limit was caught after his dad phoned the police to report him.
Gautam Kumar had been drinking vodka before deciding to take his vehicle to a nearby car wash on Causewayend, Aberdeen.
But his “deeply concerned” father called the police and officers quickly traced the 36-year-old, who was then arrested when he failed a breath test.
He had 60mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 22mcg.
A sex offender sent texts to 13-year-old girl
A convicted sex offender who was ordered not to approach females has been caught sending unwanted text messages to a 13-year-old girl.
Ian Hay found the young teenager’s mobile phone number written on the back of a bus seat on March 23 last year.
The 33-year-old, who has various convictions for sexual offences, was under a court order preventing him from approaching or contacting females.
But Hay has breached the ban multiple times since it was imposed on him more than a decade ago.
Paedophile messaged girls to brag about sexually abusing children
A depraved paedophile sent young girls disturbing and graphic online messages and bragged about how he had sexually abused children in real life.
Shaun Summers’ sickening sexual obsession with children came to light when he was stung by an online vigilante group that had set up a decoy child profile.
But when the police examined his devices they found a catalogue of horrific chat logs with underage girls in which he stated he was “deadly serious” about sexually abusing children.
Firefighter livestreamed sex attacks and rapes of girls in Philippines
A firefighter who directed sex attacks and rapes of young girls in the Philippines from his home in the Highlands is behind bars.
Retained firefighter Gary Campbell paid for the abuse to be carried out by adults as he watched and recorded it in “real time” via a livestream to his address.
A court heard some of the prepubescent victims featured in the footage could have been as young as four.
A prosecutor described sick material for which Campbell had paid between between £10 and £30.
Golf club’s fury as woman who swindled £45,000 avoids prison
A mother-of-three who swindled a Moray golf club out of tens of thousands of pounds while she was general manager has promised to pay the money back.
The amount of money Barbara-Anne Rumbles embezzled from Elgin Golf Club is in dispute as she pled guilty to taking a sum which was almost £100,000 less than the club maintains was its loss.
The decision to accept a guilty plea for the lower amount has provoked anger with the golf club, which today said its members have been “failed” by the Crown Office.
Killer could have been hiding in Brenda Page’s wardrobe
Brenda Page’s killer likely prised open her window with a chisel and lay in wait inside her wardrobe before murdering her, a forensic expert told a jury today.
Retired police forensic scientist Eric Jensen told the High Court in Aberdeen that in his opinion the murderer could have gained access the Allan Street flat and lay in wait for Brenda to arrive home.
The 77-year-old said the killer would likely have been in a “sitting position” within the wardrobe “thereby making no sound” by striking the clothes hangers inside.
Police officer accused of sending explicit images to abuse victim
A police officer allegedly sent explicit images of himself to a domestic abuse victim and then tried to kiss her in a Moray police station, a trial has heard.
Kyle MacKinnon was a serving police officer based at Keith when he was sent to assist colleagues at an incident of domestic abuse on November 28 2018.
The following day he is alleged to have added the victim of that abuse on Snapchat before going on to have multiple conversations with her over the social media app.
Get the latest crime and court stories delivered straight to your inbox
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.
Man went to wrong house and assaulted woman
A man assaulted a woman on her own doorstep after going to the wrong address, a court has heard.
James Atkins’ victim was home alone when she was woken by the sound of a man banging on her door and shouting about looking for his brother.
When the woman opened her door Atkins knocked her to the ground, causing her to strike her face which was left with bruising as a result.
Hibs fan banned over trouble in Aberdeen
A balaclava-clad, firework-waving Hibs fan has been banned from attending football matches following an incident outside an Aberdeen bar.
Trouble flared on George Street outside the Butchers Arms in November last year before Hibernian were due to play Aberdeen at Pittodrie.
A large group of Hibs fans clashed with rival supporters and police ahead of the match, which Aberdeen went on to win comfortably.
Rapper gutted man with machete
A UK rapper who left his London home to start a new life in Scotland has been jailed for inflicting horrific injuries on two men with a machete.
Louis Stacey, 23, assaulted Stephen Ritchie and Gordon Graham with the weapon during a confrontation in Fraserburgh, on December 27 2020.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how the injury inflicted by Stacey on Mr Ritchie was so bad that his internal organs were left exposed and his bowel was cut apart.
Pervert caught after paedophile hunters’ delivery driver ruse
Paedophile hunters posed as delivery drivers in order to get a man who was communicating indecently with children to come to his front door.
David Penney, 56, thought he was chatting to girls as young as 13 but was actually speaking to adult volunteers working with online groups who expose offenders.
After luring him to the front door of his Keith home by pretending to be delivery drivers, the volunteers passed the information on to police – who Penney had already called to get rid of the paedophile hunters on his doorstep.
Pensioner attacked ARI nurse with cutlery
A nurse was left with a cut to her face after being attacked with a knife by a retired social worker.
Angus Murray was admitted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary after taking a tumble at home but soon turned violent towards medical staff.
The 66-year-old lashed out at one nurse with a cutlery knife and brandished a chair at another before punching her.
Man offered £350 to transport cocaine worth up to £32,000
A man caught with cocaine worth up to £32,200 in his car told police he was offered £350 to transport it to the Buckie area.
After receiving a tip-off police officers stopped Ross Bree on the A98 and recovered 258 grams of cocaine from a rucksack in the footwell.
When interviewed he told police he had agreed to transport the drugs in return for the payment but had not known what the Class A drugs were worth.
Buckfast bottle threats
A man brandished a Buckfast bottle and told his victim: “You’re not so f***ing hard now.”
Logan Williamson had previous issues with his victim, and when he spotted him in the street when with another man he decided to “pay it back”.
But the man fled and called police, who charged Williamson with threatening or abusive behaviour.
The 22-year-old, of Gordon Terrace, Invergordon, appeared at Tain Sheriff Court to admit the charge.
Drunk boyfriend snapped phone in two as terrified girlfriend fled
A drunk man who left his girlfriend so frightened she ran screaming from his home had to be pepper sprayed by police.
Craig Kerr snapped his girlfriend’s phone in two during his drunken rage as concerned emergency call handlers tried to return the woman’s call, Inverness Sheriff Court was told.
Kerr, 37, had to be sprayed twice with a police incapacitate spray during a fight with constables at his home in Keith on May 8 last year.
Aberdeen fish firm boss evaded almost £300,000 in taxes
An Aberdeen fish firm boss “never got around” to doing his taxes – and is now facing jail over almost £300,000 in unpaid bills.
Raymond Esslemont, 71, has been warned he should be jailed however his poor health could save him if the prison cannot accommodate his needs.
The pensioner spent years deducting income tax and National Insurance Contributions (NIC) from employees at his firm Raysalmon, but did not pass the money on to HMRC.
Bar stool assault
Drinks with a friend turned into a bar brawl that ended with one man lying motionless and bleeding on a pub floor, a court has heard.
Michael Davidson was captured on CCTV attacking his drinking buddy with a bar stool after a social meet-up descended into violence.
The victim was left unconscious and with cuts and bruises that required hospital treatment.
Get the latest crime and court stories delivered straight to your inbox
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.
Domestic abuser filmed trial and posted it on TikTok
A domestic abuser who secretly filmed his victim giving evidence during his trial and then posted it on TikTok has been convicted of contempt of court.
Andrejs Romanovs was warned the courts are “not places of entertainment” after he filmed a sheriff, solicitors and his victim from the dock.
The 38-year-old courier driver dubbed Latvian music over the top of the footage and posted it on social media, but was caught when his ex was sent a link and alerted the authorities.
Cyclist sent sprawling over bonnet
A driver has been allowed to keep his licence despite hitting a cyclist, sending him crashing onto the bonnet in Aberdeen city centre.
Kenneth Menegbo, 33, failed to spot the cyclist as he made his way along Hadden Street between Exchange Street and Market Street.
And by the time he did, there was not enough time to react and the pair collided head-on.
Drug-driver could barely stand up
A refrigerator engineer has been banned from the roads after he attempted to drive from Peterhead to East Kilbride with cocaine and methadone in his system.
Andrew Smith’s erratic driving shocked a fellow motorist to such a degree that they dialled 999.
The 40-year-old’s vehicle was seen swerving into the opposing carriageway and repeatedly struck kerbs and verges.
Dad brand pool staff ‘Nazis’
A furious dad branded pool staff “Nazis” in a foul-mouthed rant after his children were turned away from swimming lessons.
Iain Kelly was overcome by a wave of anger when he took his children to the pool at Deeside Community Education Centre in Aboyne only to be told they didn’t “meet the requirements”.
The 40-year-old raged at swimming pool staff “you’re all f****** Nazis” and “it’s just a f****** slide”.
He was later found in the changing room area “swearing and ranting to himself”.
Friends locked up over rampage of violence in pubs
Four people who launched vicious and unprovoked assaults on staff and customers at two pubs in Keith have been locked up.
Debbie Baillie, Kirstie Kelly (also known as Balcezak), Anthony McPhee and Lee McPhee carried out the brutal attacks on three men and two women at the Crown Inn and Commerical Hotel in the town.
Harrowing footage of their violent rampage was played to Inverness Sheriff Court and showed a customer being glassed and another struck over the head by an electric heater.
Ex-husband of Brenda Page: I had ‘no involvement whatsoever’ in her death
The former husband of Brenda Page told police he had “no involvement whatsoever” in her death when he was arrested on suspicion of her murder, a court has heard.
Dr Christopher Harrisson’s police interview was played for jurors today at the High Court in Aberdeen, where he repeatedly denied killing his ex-wife in her flat on Allan Street in the early hours of July 14 1978.
Harrisson – who was quizzed by police for more than three hours following his arrest on May 17 2020 – told the officers he loved Brenda “very, very much” and was “saddened” at her death.
Unpaid work for man who had 199 indecent images of children
A Nairn man caught with indecent images of children has been ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work.
Police raided Ryan Davis’ home address after receiving intelligence that illegal images were being accessed.
A search of the property turned up a laptop and external hard drive containing a total of 199 indecent images of children.
Pensioner locked up for ‘assassination’ threat
A pensioner who discussed the “assassination” of Nicola Sturgeon before helping assault a sheriff during a violent “citizen’s arrest” has been jailed for five years and 10 months.
William Curtis directed the threatening online remarks towards the First Minister which were discovered by her private office in Edinburgh in 2019.
The 71-year-old ex-fishing skipper also continued a sinister hate campaign against his then local MSP Stewart Stevenson that year.
Drunk told police officer he’d dig up dead dad’s corpse
A family man who fell off the wagon having abstained from alcohol for a decade threatened to dig up the body of a police officer’s late father.
Colin Reid’s disturbing rant came after he awoke from a drunken sleep at his Fochabers home only to fall out with his family, Elgin Court Court was told.
Fiscal depute Emily Hood said the 38-year-old’s frightened family fled from the house and into a nearby caravan only for him to follow, shouting more vile abuse.
Hare courser branded ‘lazy’
A hare courser who was branded “lazy” for watching the kill from the comfort of his car has now been banned from keeping dogs.
Richard Hanratty, 29, did not even bother to get out of his car as he set his Lurcher dog on hares in a field near Hopewell Farm in Tarland, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
The father-of-one was caught after a woman driving behind him along the unclassified road realised what was happening and reported the matter to police.
Minister caught drink-driving
A drink-driving Church of Scotland minister crashed into a parked car and then drove for around 16 miles – some of it on the wrong side of the road and without a tyre – before being stopped by police.
Rev Donald MacSween, of Kiltearn Parish Church in Evanton, was four times the drink-driving limit and narrowly avoided colliding with other vehicles, Inverness Sheriff Court was told.
The minister’s solicitor told the court the incident was “a matter of considerable regret” and came about as a result of alcohol problems.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen and the latest crime and breaking incidents, join our new Facebook group.
