Our reporters have been sitting in courtrooms across the north and north-east this week and covered a wide variety of cases.
‘Pillar of the community’ wrote off wife’s Range Rover
A drink-driver, who was described as a “pillar of the community”, wrote off his wife’s Range Rover after trying to drive home from the pub.
Offshore worker Gordon Macleod – who also has four previous convictions for driving while disqualified and “fully recognises he could have killed someone” – crashed multiple times during the drive between Inverurie and his home in Insch.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told the 51-year-old was reported to the police by multiple concerned motorists, who saw him swerving along the road at speed and hitting fences and road barriers.
Man threw dumbbell through flat window
A man hurled a dumbbell through the window of a flat during a disturbance, a court was told.
Police called to the scene spotted the item caught in a Venetian blind and hanging halfway out of the opening.
David Williamson was charged with culpable and reckless conduct in relation to the incident on July 9 2021.
Greedy petrol station cashier’s £75,000 scratchcard swindle
A petrol station worker who embezzled more than £75,000 by faking scratchcard wins says he was driven by greed.
Carol-Anne Scroggie helped herself to the huge sum over a number of years while working at Watermill Filling Station in Fraserburgh.
The 31-year-old took advantage of her position by putting non-existent lottery scratchcard wins through the system before pocketing the cash.
Flasher frightened teen girls
Two teenage girls were left frightened and disturbed after a serial flasher exposed himself to them at a bus stop just yards from Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
Steven Moir made and held eye contact with the 15-year-olds as they waited for a bus on Castle Street in Aberdeen, before exposing his private parts to them.
The 63-year-old, who has previous convictions for public indecency, was urinating at first but after spotting the girls nearby he appeared to touch himself indecently.
Teen kicked and punched two victims unconscious
A teenager who kicked and punched two people unconscious after they were cheeky to his sister has been told he’s lucky he didn’t kill them.
Joey Jackson, 19, threw his victims to the ground before punching and kicking them in the head until they were knocked out.
Speaking after the assaults, which he admitted under provocation, he said: “They got what they deserved.”
Fisherman slammed girlfriend through glass coffee table
A jealous boyfriend who threw his partner around “like a rag doll” and slammed her battered body through a glass coffee table has been jailed.
Erland Burnett, known as Borwick, left his girlfriend with permanent scars after the vicious attack at their home in Inverbervie, which was sparked after he discovered she had been communicating with an ex.
The 34-year-old – who later freely admitted to police that he “slammed her head off the floor” – lifted her off the ground and dropped her onto the table, which smashed on impact.
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Man told partner ‘just go to sleep’ as he blocked her nose and mouth
A man shoved a pillowcase into his partner’s mouth and told her to “just go to sleep” as he pinched her nose to restrict her breathing.
Brandon McMillan’s partner ran out of the holiday caravan in Nairn where the attack took place screaming “please help me”.
The sinister attack came just six weeks after a similar incident at the couple’s home in Fife, where McMillan had held his hand over her mouth and nose.
Firebug set flat ablaze
A teenager who started a flat fire so severe that it melted radiators was caught on camera fleeing the scene of the crime.
Aaron-James Smart, now 20, broke into then set fire to a one-bedroom flat on High Street in Fraserburgh which prompted the block of flats to be evacuated.
Thankfully, one quick-thinking neighbour who heard the banging and smashing of intruders swiftly alerted emergency services – who managed to stop the fire from spreading.
Carwash crowbar thief jailed
A career criminal has been jailed after he raided a Banchory carwash by breaking open self-service valeting machines with a crowbar.
Robert Merchant, who has numerous convictions dating back to 1985, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and admitted repeatedly forcing open the machines and stealing more than £200.
The total damage the 54-year-old caused to the machines was valued at £1,000.
Mums lose bid for freedom
Two Moray mothers have failed in their bid for interim liberation while they await sentencing for violent assaults in two Keith pubs.
Debbie Baillie, 22, and Kirstie Kelly, 34, pleaded guilty last Wednesday to their part in a series of assaults, also involving their partners, which took place in the Commercial Hotel and the Crown Inn.
The women appeared in the dock with Anthony McPhee, 36, and Lee McPhee, 19, and admitted a number of assault charges related to the attacks in February 2022.
One man was kicked and stamped on by the McPhees before being struck over the head with an electric heater. Horrific CCTV footage of the attacks was played in the courtroom.
Thief tried to spend £100 note
A thief who broke into an Aberdeen house stole a £100 note – then immediately spent it at McDonald’s.
Lee Anderson, 42, raided an address on College Bounds while the occupants were away and helped himself to games consoles, a router, a soundbar and the cash.
The break-in came to light when a friend of the couple who lived at the address stopped by to check on their pets.
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Hapless car thief broke down
A car thief caught by police when his stolen vehicle broke down just 20 minutes after he drove off with it has been handed unpaid work.
Marek Novikovs, 20, stole the Honda Civic from outside an address on Hilton Place, Aberdeen, in the middle of the night but he didn’t get far.
The vehicle was immediately reported stolen and officers wasted no time in tracing it on Mugiemoss Road, with Novikovs still inside.
Cannabis smuggler was clueless
A drugs smuggler was rumbled after telling Aberdeen Airport officials that he jetted in from Amsterdam in order to visit his sister – in southern England.
Pawlo Albanskyj was detained after telling UK Border Agency Officials that he was planning to travel a further 500 miles to visit his sister in Slough.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard on Wednesday that staff asked the geographically challenged Canadian to open his two suitcases.
Staff then found he was carrying cannabis worth just under £300,000 in his baggage.
Mentally ill killer’s release criticised
The sister of a man who was murdered by a newly released mentally ill prisoner today vowed to sue the authorities following the publication of a “damning” report.
Alan Geddes was stabbed 40 times by Stuart Quinn after he offered the homeless former prisoner a bed for the night.
Now, a report into the circumstances leading up to Mr Geddes’ death by the Welfare Commission Scotland has concluded the dad-of-one might still be alive today had Quinn been given accommodation upon his release from HMP Grampian.
Old housemates admit drug dealing
A trio of former housemates have admitted drug dealing charges after a police raid that turned up cannabis, tablets and an air pistol.
Gary Devlin, 38, Kenneth McIver, 38, and John Sutherland, 39, shared a home in Kintail Avenue, Inverness in 2019, which was searched under warrant.
Police found just over 450g of cannabis belonging to Devlin as well as 14,861 tablets of McIver’s in the property.
Scabies scare in courtroom
An Aberdeen court had to be abruptly adjourned and closed after it emerged an accused person in the dock had scabies.
The unplanned adjournment took place shortly before lunchtime on Tuesday, with solicitors, public and press asked to leave the courtroom.
The sudden break in proceedings was initially met with confusion before word filtered through that an accused in an earlier case had scabies, a contagious skin condition caused by tiny mites.
The room, including the dock area, was cleaned while the court was closed.
Mum rendered cop ‘immobile’
A sheriff has challenged a mum to prove she can behave after she “immobilised” a police officer during a violent assault.
Lisa Jolly, known as Ross, had gone to a flat on Balnagask Circle after her tearful daughter had called her upset about an unrelated incident.
Police were also called to the property and arrived in the block to find Ross, 43, and a number of others spilling out into the stairwell causing a disturbance.
Chinese restaurant boss ‘exploited’ illegal workers
The hard-up boss of two Chinese takeaways who used “vulnerable” asylum seekers at his two Aberdeen businesses has been told he “exploited them for cheap labour”.
Wengang Liu was “not doing well financially” so brought in cheap labour to staff the city’s Golden Crown and O’ Kitchen takeaways.
The 41-year-old maintained he became “misguidedly involved” while trying to “assist” them, but was told he had gained financially by exploiting the individuals in question.
Ex-husband guilty of murdering Brenda Page
The 82-year-old ex-husband of Brenda Page has been found guilty of her brutal 1978 murder.
Christopher ‘Kit’ Harrisson has been the prime suspect in the infamous murder investigation for more than four decades and has been finally brought to justice.
Brenda, who was the principal of the genetics department at Aberdeen University, was found dead in her Allan Street flat on the morning of July 14 1978.
The 32-year-old had been violently and viciously battered to death with a blunt instrument.
Man who threatened to kill brother-in-law cleared of crime
A man who made a threatening video to kill his brother-in-law has walked free from court today after being acquitted of committing a crime.
Inverness Sheriff Court was played the footage of 40-year-old Christopher Barclay making the threats, stating he would “kill” businessman Norman Bremner, adding: “I don’t care if I go to jail.”
Mr Barclay had denied behaving in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause a person fear and alarm by posting the video to his social media page.
Trucker who lost control on A82 admits careless driving
A trucker who lost control of his lorry on the A82 and ended up in a field thinks an animal may have run out in front of him.
Gregor Lawrie was travelling in his Mercedes HGV near Drumnadrochit when he collided with a fence and travelled down an embankment.
His solicitor told Inverness Sheriff Court that Lawrie told police he could not explain how the crash had happened.
Woman encouraged children to play sexual game of truth or dare
A mum who encouraged a group of children to carry out sexual dares in her home acted in an “unplanned and opportunistic” way rather than a “predatory” one.
Kirstyann Kavanagh bought cider and wine for the Buckie youngsters and then instructed some of them to kiss and touch each other sexually.
Her solicitor told the court it was “unclear why she committed these crimes” as the 23-year-old was sentenced to supervision, unpaid work and a period of time on the sex offender’s register.
Drunk smashed bar stool over man’s head
A drunken pubgoer who tried and failed to impress a woman with his flirting smashed his bar stool over another man’s head after being told to cool his advances.
Callum Forbes was trying to woo a woman in the Woodend Bar in Bucksburn but took it badly after being told to back off, Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard.
Forbes had been drinking while on prescription meds and the cocktail didn’t serve his mood well, the court was told.
Barred man threatened burn pub down
A man climbed in the window of a pub he was barred from and then threatened to stab staff and burn the place down.
Callum Hilson had been locked out of the Tipsy Laird in Kingussie after staff realised he was barred from the premises.
But he climbed through a toilet window and reappeared in the bar “laughing hysterically” before making the threats.
Elgin City striker Kane Hester cleared after ‘betting scam’ trial
A group of men accused of a football spot-betting scam featuring former Elgin City striker Kane Hester have been cleared of all charges.
The four had been accused of conspiring to win thousands of pounds by betting the player would get a yellow card during a Betfred Cup match against Hibs.
Semi-professional star Hester, 27 – who also worked as an electrician and retained firefighter – was booked in the 29th minute of the 2-0 defeat on July 26 2019.
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