Our reporters have been sitting in courtrooms across the north and north-east this week and covered a wide variety of cases.
Joiner told to address drink issues after hammer-wielding incident
A joiner from Elgin who admitted it’s “not best practice” to go to a confrontation armed with a claw hammer has been ordered to address any alcohol issues he has.
Douglas Chalmers wielded the weapon at another man in a car park close to Lhanbryde Primary School in a row over a motorbike.
A passing dog walker was so alarmed at seeing the 48-year-old “nose-to-nose” with his victim that she immediately called the police.
Man cleared of throwing woman from second-floor window
A man has been cleared of throwing a woman out of a second floor window in Aberdeen.
Sean Paxton, 53, stood trial accused of forcing 37-year-old Irene Bloomer out of the window of his tenement flat on Stafford Street, which caused her to plummet two floors to the pavement below.
Ms Bloomer, now deceased, suffered horrific injuries and was left wheelchair-bound following the incident, Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard.
Man who died in disturbance named as two appear in court
A man who died following a disturbance in Aberdeen has been named as a 39-year-old from the Woodend area of the city.
Henry Stephen died after being taken to hospital on Saturday night following reports of a fight in Rosehill Crescent.
Two people – Mark Riddle, 36, and Leah Knight, 28 – today appeared in court in connection with Mr Stephen’s death.
Farm manager accused of killing pigs with hammer walks free
An Aberdeenshire farm manager accused of using a hammer to kill pigs has walked free from court after key video evidence was lost.
Andrew Munro, 49, had denied five charges over his conduct relating to pigs at Yonderton Farm near Ellon, including two of causing pigs “unnecessary suffering” by hitting them with a hammer.
The matter first came to court after animal rights organisation Animal Equality carried out an undercover operation at the farm, which was owned by P&G Sleigh.
Arrest warrant granted for thief after Boyzone memorabilia heist
A warrant has been granted for the arrest of a thief who stole Boyzone memorabilia during a break-in at an Aberdeen house.
David Stirton raided the property on Byron Crescent in July last year and stole a poster, a number of dolls, photographs, mugs and a necklace – all themed around the smash hit 90s boyband.
The 49-year-old also broke into the Three Lums pub on Lewis Road and stole alcohol.
Woman who sent child abuse video to sister had no ‘deviant sexual purpose’
An Oldmeldum woman has been placed on the sex offenders register after she sent a video of a child being sexually abused to her sister.
Chichi Dallas, 42, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and admitted forwarding the indecent video – which was of the most serious category – via the online messaging app WhatsApp.
However, it was accepted by the court that Dallas had no “deviant sexual purpose” when sending the message.
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Drug-fuelled man slashed ‘associate’ from ear to mouth
A drugged-up man slashed a friend from ear to mouth following a falling out.
Chae MacDonald’s victim required up to 50 stitches to close the horrifying gash as well as a metal rod inserted into his jaw during surgery.
The injured man was found wandering around the Lang Stracht following the brutal assault.
Hedge trimmer thief spat at police and told them she had hepatitis
A hedge trimmer thief has been jailed after she spat at police officers and claimed to have hepatitis.
Sharon Skelton, 47, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and admitted stealing a hedge trimmer from a woman, who was chatting to a friend while taking a break from pruning her garden.
However, an eagle-eyed neighbour spotted Skelton making off with the hedge trimmer and photographed her before posting it on Facebook.
When police went to arrest Skelton she assaulted the officers and spat, stating: “I’ve got the Hep!”
Fraserburgh mum killed newborn baby by covering face with clingfilm
An abused and traumatised mother whose conviction for murdering her newborn child with clingfilm was overturned by appeal judges today admitted killing the hours-old baby boy.
Ineta Dzinguviene was jailed for life and ordered to serve at least 15 years in jail in 2011 after smothering her son, who was later named Paulius Dzingus, the previous year.
Dzinguviene, 38, had already killed another baby girl in 2009 in her native Lithuania before moving to Scotland with her husband and three children.
Angry worker trashed seafood warehouse after workplace dispute
An angry employee who trashed his workplace and spread a chemical liquid around its warehouse during a 3am rampage has been fined £1,050.
Ross Haslett let himself into Thistle Seafoods in Boddam and flung chloroform around the warehouse, overturned workstations and damaged property before sending sexually “revolting” emails to a member of staff there.
The 37-year-old first stormed off mid-shift from the Harbour Street fish factory following an argument with a forklift driver on February 8 2021, Peterhead Sheriff Court was told.
Couple’s home targeted by thief while they were attending a funeral
A couple returned home from a funeral and discovered their house had been broken into and many belongings, including £4,500 worth of jewellery and a motorbike, had been stolen.
Gordon Jackson, of Cameron Park Brae, Elgin, carried out the break-in to the property in the Altyre Estate, Forres, after the couple left their home and garden shed locked on June 16, 2022.
Fiscal depute Robert Weir told Inverness Sheriff Court that a mobile phone with a CCTV application had been set up to monitor the property.
But he said it was also stolen in the raid.
Fishermen fined over regulation breaches at Peterhead harbour
Two north-east skippers have each been fined in court after admitting separate breaches of fishing laws.
Brian Harvey, master of Banff-registered Orion BF432, appeared in the dock and admitted failing to record a catch of 466kg of witches fish.
Meanwhile, Andrew Hay, master of Fraserburgh-registered Valkyrie FR262, admitted failing to submit e-logbook data every 24 hours as required by regulations.
Man who assaulted officer spared jail
A man who told a policeman “Go back to your country” and then assaulted him has been spared jail.
Darren Kennedy said he didn’t want the officer to hold him because he was Polish and later spat in another officer’s face.
He appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court for sentencing having previously admitted charges of threatening or abusive behaviour, acting in a racially aggravated manner, assault and culpable or reckless behaviour.
Man admits throwing booster seat towards police car in chase
A man has admitted throwing a child’s booster seat out of the window towards a police car during a terrifying high-speed chase.
Tony Winchester was a passenger in a car leading officers on a dangerous pursuit across the city – taking in Mastrick, Cults, Garthdee, the city centre, Danestone, Bridge of Don and the harbour.
The driver of the car, Kieran Ord, previously admitted a string of charges and was jailed for 18 months.
Fines and jail handed out to prisoners caught with illegal sims
More than a dozen current or former inmates of Peterhead prison have been handed a fine or more time in jail after being caught with unauthorised sim cards behind bars.
Six current inmates were each handed £250 fines but were afforded no time to pay and so will serve 14 days behind bars.
And seven recently released prisoners were handed fines of between £250 and £300.
Highland couple both admit possessing indecent images
A couple have both admitted possessing indecent images of children after vile photos and videos were found on their mobile phones.
Saosan Ghozlan and Ahmad Al Mahamid’s Alness home was targeted by officers following intelligence that someone at the address may have been sharing indecent images of children online.
Indecent videos and pictures of children, a number of which were the most severe category A, were found on both of their mobile phones.
Gambling addict conned friend out of credit card details
A man duped his friend into handing over her credit card details then went on to lose nearly £5,000 from online casinos.
Gambling addict Andrew McCraw contacted the woman – a friend of 20 years – and convinced her he needed the card details to apply for an online poker tournament.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told the 43-year-old then drained her balance of £4,700 by gambling at online casinos.
His solicitor told the court his client was a gambling addict who was seeking help for his problems.
Drink-driver fled crash which left girlfriend seriously injured
A dangerous drink-driver who crashed his car into a wall in Peterhead town centre and then fled the scene has been spared jail.
Simon Gemmell’s girlfriend was thrown from the vehicle in the smash, leaving her with serious injuries and disfigured, Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard.
He left the crash scene but returned a short time later – and lied to police about who was the driver.
Woman in court on attempted murder charge after stabbing
A woman has appeared in court accused of attempted murder after another woman was allegedly stabbed during a street fight in Aberdeen.
Candice Seers was arrested after police were called to a disturbance on the city’s Hutcheon Street, around 12.50am on Tuesday May 30.
The 36-year-old is facing two charges – including assault to severe injury, danger of life and attempted murder, and having a bladed or pointed article in a public place.
A woman, 33, remains in a serious condition at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary today.
Seventeen fans in court over street clashes after Dons’ win over Rangers
Seventeen people have appeared in court in connection with clashes that took place following the Dons’ victory over Rangers last month.
The 14 men and two teenagers, all Aberdeen fans and from the north-east, have been charged with breach of the peace, while one Rangers fan also faces an additional charge of assault.
A series of fights and skirmishes broke out in the city after Rangers lost by two goals at Pittodrie Stadium on April 23 this year.
Man faces jail after over ‘disgusting’ sexual abuse of teenage boy
A man who sent a child intimate images and groped him under a blanket has been warned he faces prison for the “grave” offences.
Thomas Baird, 30, encouraged the boy – who was over 13 but under 16 and cannot be identified for legal reasons – to view explicit images of men and women to “see if he liked both”.
Inverness Sheriff Court was told the abuse and grooming came to light after the child’s mother discovered Baird, who was married at the time of the offences but is now divorced, had sent an animation featuring a novelty sex toy to the boy.
Mum’s fury at McDonald’s staff who refused to serve her at drive-thru
A mum who appeared at a McDonald’s drive-thru window without a car assaulted staff when they refused to sell her a Happy Meal.
“Frustrated” mother-of-one Leigh Mair became violent towards the fast food chain employees when she paid for her items at the order hatch but was then denied her food because she was on foot.
The incident – which has now cost her the equivalent of 86 Happy Meals – saw the 35-year-old storm to the front door of the restaurant and attack several staff, swinging her shopping bag at one.
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Man chased ex-partner with knife while holding young child
A violent domestic abuser assaulted his ex-partner and chased her while brandishing a knife – all while holding a child.
Aurimas Samalkis also ran at police officers while holding the blade – and child – during the terrifying incident in Aberdeen.
The 39-year-old admitted three charges over the matter, which happened on January 12 at an address Farquhar Road, as well as in the street there and on Farquhar Brae.
Samalkis admitted assaulting his ex by pushing her, holding a knife against her neck and demanding she call family members to prevent them from contacting the police.
Thief target churches across Moray and Highlands
A thief targeted churches across the Highlands and Moray during an extended crime spree, a court has been told.
Stuart Lilley’s offending was so concerning, that at one point he was banned from entering the grounds of any religious building in Scotland.
Lilley was also caught wandering around schools and trying to gain access to business premises.
Teenager made repeated nuisance calls to police
A teenager who made a series of nuisance 999 calls also smashed every window of his home with empty bottles of alcohol.
Stuart Gerrard first called to claim the force was “corrupt” before calling back again and declaring himself a “kiddie fiddler”.
The 18-year-old repeatedly ignored demands to stop from both call handlers and police officers, who paid his Macduff home a visit during the evening of January 19 this year.
Sleepy driver told concerned police he’d been up all night doing cocaine
A man found slumped at the wheel at the side of the A90 told police he was tired – because he’d been up all night doing cocaine.
Matthew Milward caught the attention of police officers on patrol when they saw him pulled over at the side of the A90 near Laurencekirk.
When the officers went to check if the 42-year-old was alright, he told them he was just tired.
Repeat sex offender branded ‘menace to young teenage women’
A pervert who sent indecent pictures of himself to multiple teenage girls and asked one 14-year-old to meet him for sex has been branded a “menace to teenage women” and been handed more time behind bars.
Stewart Barclay, 22, has been told he “failed to understand how precarious his position was” when he didn’t carry out supervision and unpaid work for offences dating back to 2019.
He had a different order, relating to analogous offences from 2020, revoked at Aberdeen Sheriff Court two weeks ago and a 12-month sentence imposed instead.
Second woman in court accused of attempted murder
A second woman has appeared in court following the alleged stabbing of another woman during a suspected street fight in Aberdeen.
Leah Petrie, who faces three charges including attempted murder, was arrested and charged in connection with a disturbance on Hutcheon Street, Aberdeen.
The 20-year-old is accused of assault to injury; assault to severe injury, danger of life and attempted murder; and having a bladed or pointed article in a public place.
Schoolboy who couldn’t wait to drive took mum’s car without permission
A schoolboy who couldn’t wait to learn to drive like his friends took his mum’s car without permission and then crashed it into another vehicle.
The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, collided with a silver Volkswagen carrying a young mum and her two children, aged just 10 months and two years, in Turriff town centre.
Banff Sheriff Court heard the crash happened during the boy’s first-ever experience behind the wheel.
Teen caught with heroin worth more than £30,000 in Aberdeen
An Inverbervie teenager was caught with more than £30,000 worth of heroin at an Aberdeen flat.
Isaiah Grant, 19, pled guilty to being concerned in the supply of the class A drug when he appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
The offence happened on April 12 last year.
Domestic abuser bombarded woman with threats
A domestic abuser who bombarded his estranged partner with 70 messages in a single day and lied to her family that she was a prostitute has been ordered to stay away from her for three years.
Przemyslaw Wapniarski’s nearly three-month campaign of abuse included violence, intimidation and controlling behaviour, Elgin Sheriff Court was told.
The 45-year-old abused the woman at their Elgin home by pushing her into a doorframe, locking her from the house, monitoring her phone use, damaging household items and repeatedly making derogatory remarks towards her.
‘Payback time’: Stalker’s chilling threat after court case
A supermarket stalker who became obsessed with a young colleague posted a chilling “payback time” threat on Facebook after appearing in court.
Morrisons worker James Clarke targeted the woman for more than two months, following her around the Inverurie store and making offensive remarks online.
The 58-year-old, who attended Aberdeen Sheriff Court in full military kit, also scrawled a message on the mirror in the women’s toilets in the supermarket.
RAF Lossiemouth serviceman spared jail for pub car park assaults
An RAF serviceman has been spared jail after he admitted three assaults in a Lossiemouth pub car park.
George Culley, 20, left one of his victims needing stitches and affected his ability to work.
But his solicitor told the court first-time offender Culley was “ripe for rehabilitation” a suggestion that was accepted by the sheriff, who ordered him to carry out unpaid work.
Aberdeen man denies carrying bottle of acid to ‘throw in people’s faces’
A man has appeared in court accused of having a bottle of acid in Aberdeen city centre.
Finn Mackie, 22, is alleged to have possessed the highly corrosive substance inside a Lucozade bottle while standing outside the Grosvenor Casino on Exchequer Row, Aberdeen, in August last year.
It was claimed that police were made aware of a male being in possession of acid after a member of the public overheard a conversation outside the casino.
It was stated the man claimed he “could throw acid in people’s faces”.
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