Weekend court roll – a pepper spray viral star and Aldi’s most loyal crook

Our reporters have been sitting in courtrooms across the north and north-east this week and covered a wide variety of cases.

Man who accessed indecent images of children spared jail

A man caught with more than 2,000 sick images, some of which belonged to the most serious category A, has been spared jail.

Duncan Morrison had previously admitted two charges relating to the downloading and possession of the images which featured girls between the ages of one and 16.

When the vile pictures were discovered he told officers he only accessed them out of “nosiness” and did not do it for sexual gratification.

Morrison, 59, appeared for sentencing at Inverness Sheriff Court following the production of pre-sentencing reports.

Prolific thief back in the dock

A prolific thief who had been handed community service has been jailed after getting arrested again on a separate matter.

Ian Gray appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and admitted to threatening workers after being ordered to leave a number of shops in Aberdeen.

The 41-year-old told a female bookmaker he would wait for her to finish her shift and “cut her head off”.

He also warned a Scotmid worker he would “slash” her face with a fork if he saw her in the street, the court previously.

Man in court after police pepper spray video goes viral

A man has appeared in court after a video of him struggling with police officers and claiming pepper spray “tastes like JD” went viral online.

Michael Wood was seen jostling with the officers outside Sainsbury’s on George Street in the footage, which has been viewed millions of times across social media.

At one point, the 39-year-old appears to open his mouth and swallow the PAVA spray, which is being dispensed into his face at close range.

But far from subduing him, the spray seems only to spur Wood on as he boasts the powerful irritant tastes similar to the popular Tennessee bourbon Jack Daniels.

Paedophile jailed after being caught with indecent images for second time

An Aberdeen sex offender has been jailed after he was caught with indecent images of children for the second time.

Alasdair Rae, 22, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and admitted having of scores of images and videos of children on his iPhone when police searched his home.

Some of the children featured in the indecent material were as young as six.

Rae, a registered sex offender, was handed a community payback order in 2021 after he was found with more than 30 hours of sick sexual videos featuring children between the ages of two and 15.

Man jailed for domestic abuse and non-harassment breaches

A domestic abuser has been jailed and warned to stay away from his ex-partner for years after his release.

Steven McDiarmid carried out a three-and-a-half-year-long campaign against the woman, which included throttling her and pinning her to a wall while standing on her feet to prevent her from escaping.

He was found guilty by a jury at Forfar Sheriff Court and was jailed after being told there was no alternative to custody.

His offending took place in Lunanhead, near Forfar, Portgordon, near Buckie, and at New Pitsligo in Aberdeenshire.

Teen shop worker traumatised after terrifying armed robbery

An armed robber felt “invincible” as he held up a Banchory Co-op store with a large knife, telling terrified teenage employees he “wouldn’t hesitate” to hurt them.

Ben Kelbie was fuelled by vodka, cocaine and valium when he walked into the Hill of Banchory store wielding a large kitchen knife.

The 24-year-old marched up to two young members of staff, who were just 18 at the time, and made threats to force them to open the till.

His victims were left petrified by the robbery, and Kelbie has now been handed a six-and-a-half-year extended sentence as a sheriff lambasted him over the “horrifying” crime.

Network Rail facing criminal charges over Stonehaven rail tragedy

A rail body is facing criminal charges related to the Stonehaven rail crash in which three people died.

Network Rail has been charged in connection with the tragedy on August 12 2020, with more details due next month.

According to a new court rolls document, the Crown Office will prosecute Network Rail and a hearing is due to take place at the High Court in Aberdeen on September 7.

Network Rail has chosen not to say what the charges are in case the situation changes before the hearing.

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Jail for serial sex offender who tried to pay 14-year-old girl for sex

A notorious north-east paedophile has been locked up for nearly four years after he was caught messaging a schoolgirl for sex and downloading indecent images of infants.

David Scott, also known as Ritchie, was found to be buying alcohol and disposable vapes for the 14-year-old, who he met up with in secret over a six-month period.

Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard that Scott – who was made subject to the sex offenders register for 10 years in 2017 – sourced a mobile phone for the teenager so he could communicate with her secretly on Snapchat.

In one sickening message he asked her if she would carry out a sex act on him in exchange for £10.

Late-night raider jailed after stealing £12,000 worth of alcohol

A man who stole more than £12,000 of alcohol and tobacco during a late-night break-in has been jailed.

Jamie Selfridge appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and admitted raiding the Premier Store in Cove by wrenching open the metal shutter and breaking a window.

The 34-year-old was caught when a quick-thinking member of the public heard a loud bang and filmed the break-in.

When Selfridge was located by police he was wearing the same clothes and was still in possession of some of the stolen items.

Thief with ‘penchant’ for breaking into Aldi back in court – for breaking into Aldi

A serial thief with a “penchant” for breaking into Aldi stores has appeared back in court – for breaking into Aldi yet again.

Stephen Leader has a history of targeting the budget supermarket chain, with his local Aldi in Cornhill, his preferred choice when it comes to crime.

The 27-year-old last appeared in court for an Aldi break-in as recently as the end of July when he was handed a 48-day prison term.

And now, he’s been hit with a longer nine-month sentence after admitting yet another supermarket raid.

Man who threatened to rip officer’s heart out was carrying a knife

A Dingwall man who told a policeman he wanted to rip their heart out was carrying a knife at the time, a court has heard.

Daniel Harkness made the threat after he was detained in relation to another matter, and also used racist, homophobic and ableist slurs towards officers.

When he was searched at the police station he was also found to be carrying a “piece of cutlery”.

Harkness, 46, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to plead guilty to charges of threatening or abusive behaviour and having a bladed article in a public place in relation to the incident on November 21 last year.

Woman accused of hoax abduction in bid to extort her own gran

A woman is facing court accused of a fake abduction plot staged in a bid to extort money from her own granny.

Michelle Smith, or Watson, denies the charge of attempted extortion and a trial date has now been fixed for later this year.

The 33-year-old is accused of committing the crime on June 9 2021.

It is alleged she, while acting with another person, repeatedly made phone communication with her grandmother pretending to have been abducted and that “harm would be caused” if she did not pay a ransom.

Wetherspoons manager used body-worn CCTV to capture attack

An Inverness bar manager activated body-worn CCTV before he was assaulted by a drunk customer.

Ryan McFarlane was so intoxicated that staff at The King’s Highway refused to serve him more alcohol, causing him to become “aggressive and confrontational”.

The manager of the Wetherspoons bar activated a body-worn CCTV system during the exchange, which saw McFarlane throw a pint at him, spit in his face and push him to the ground.

McFarlane, 28, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit charges of threatening and abusive behaviour and assault at the Church Street premises.

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Rapist who abused child from the age of two locked up for four years

A rapist who sexually abused a little girl from the age of two was jailed for four years and eight months today.

Dean Burnett targeted the child for sexual assaults before she eventually revealed his conduct to adults.

A judge told the first offender at the High Court in Edinburgh that because of the serious nature of the offending and the length of time it occurred only a prison sentence was the appropriate disposal.

Lady Haldane said he would have faced a seven-year jail term but the period of custody would be reduced following his early guilty plea.

Car crash pensioner cleared of killing elderly pedestrian by careless driving

An elderly driver has been cleared of killing a 91-year-old pedestrian in a horrifying two-car crash in Nairn.

Christina Cameron, 75, blacked out briefly before colliding with another vehicle and fatally striking James Alexander between Thurlow Road and Seafield Street on January 21, 2021.

Cameron, of the town’s Osprey Crescent, went on trial at Inverness Sheriff Court but was acquitted of the charge by a sheriff.

The court considered whether the accused lost consciousness as she negotiated the junction or if she hadn’t been paying attention.

Thief who targeted churches in Highland and Moray spared jail

A thief who targeted churches across Highland and Moray as part of an 18-month crime spree has been spared jail.

Stuart Lilley was instead placed on a drug treatment and testing order and handed 150 hours of unpaid work in the community.

He has also been banned from going near religious buildings for two years.

Lilley, 48, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court for sentencing, having previously admitted 13 charges relating to break-ins and thefts at locations from Nairn to Dornoch between June 2021 and January 2023.

Man speaks out on medicinal cannabis after being fined over plant

An Aberdeen man has spoken out on the medical benefits of cannabis after he was fined for growing a plant.

Alexander McLean appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted a charge of production of the class B drug.

Police raided his home Dulnain Road in Aberdeen in November last year and found a growing tent containing a single plant, along with 62.7g of herbal cannabis.

The 48-year-old received a £420 fine over the matter, but outside court spoke about how he used the drug to help with leg and back pain caused by a career of heavy lifting.

Danger driver caused three-car smash

A man who caused a three-car crash when he swerved into the opposing lane of traffic on a major road has been banned from driving.

Philip Sharp, 56, was described by witnesses as travelling at “excessive speed” when his car veered into oncoming traffic and struck two cars on the A947 Aberdeen to Banff road.

One driver was forced to take evasive action in order to avoid a head-on collision with Sharp’s car but still ended up involved in the accident, Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard.

The court was also shown dashcam footage of the crash provided by one of the drivers.

Married dad-of-two choked stripper unconscious at Aberdeen club

A married father-of-two has admitted a horrific drunken assault on a dancer at an Aberdeen strip club, choking her unconscious to the “danger of life”.

Mantas Gervetauskas returned to his homeland in Lithuania following the disturbing attack on a woman at Private Eyes in 2019.

The 36-year-old did not even come back to Scotland to enter his guilty plea in court, and his solicitor tried to convince the sheriff to deal with the case in his absence with a fine and compensation.

But Sheriff Morag McLaughlin was having none of it, stating that the vicious assault was so serious that a custodial sentence could be a possible outcome.

Teen stabbed ‘love rival’ through heart in horrifying street attack

A teenage knife attacker stabbed a man in the heart after accusing his former girlfriend and the victim of sleeping together, a court heard today.

Steven Duthart stormed off after inflicting a life-threatening wound on the man in the late-night Aberdeen attack.

A passerby went to the aid of the stabbing victim and called emergency services before surgeons carried out a life-saving operation.

Duthart, now 21, admitted attempting to murder the 24-year-old on Wellington Road on September 26 in 2021 when he appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh via a video link to prison.

Ex-coach of Highland girls’ football club accused of raping child

The former head coach of a girls’ football club is to stand trial accused of raping a 15-year-old girl.

Lee Murray is also accused of sending her naked photos of himself.

The 52-year-old – who was the head coach at Thistle Girls FC – faces further claims that he was caught having indecent online chats with a woman posing as a young girl.

Murray denies assaulting and raping the 15-year-old.

Man admits stalking owner of Airbnb next door

A nightmare neighbour has admitted a stalking charge after bombarding the owner of the Highland holiday rental next door with abusive and racist emails.

Kevin Coghill sent his victim a series of profanity-laden emails complaining about “yapping dogs” and the guests who were staying at the property in Auchterawe, near Fort Augustus.

Coghill, 56, insulted the man’s Indian heritage and called him a “money-grabbing c***” during the communications, which a sheriff today branded “abuse, pure and simple”.

Sheriff Gary Aitken told Coghill his victim was “entitled to run an Airbnb or a holiday let” and that “resorting to repeated sustained abuse is simply unacceptable in today’s society”.

Drink-driving decorator crashed while more than five-times the limit

An Aberdeen decorator crashed while more than five-and-a-half times the drink-drive limit after a boozy barbecue.

Michal Daton had been enjoying a “convivial barbecue” with the drink flowing when he received an unexpected call regarding a painting job.

The 42-year-old was told he had to collect a set of keys by 6pm or risk missing out on the job.

Despite having been “drinking heavily”, Daton jumped into his car, but crashed before he could reach his destination.

Drink-driver who killed charity cyclist jailed for 12 years

A drink-driver who killed a charity cyclist and then helped bury his body in a shallow grave has been jailed for 12 years.

Alexander McKellar was behind the wheel of an Isuzu pick-up when he mowed down Tony Parsons on the A82 between Bridge of Orchy and Tyndrum in Argyll and Bute on September 29 2017.

The deer stalker then teamed up with twin brother Robert to cover up the crime including hiding the corpse of the 63-year-old deep in the nearby 9,000-acre Auch Estate.

Mr Parsons disappearance sparked a huge missing persons probe including an emotional BBC Crimewatch TV appeal by his son Mike.

Disgruntled former Asda employee given jail warning

A disgruntled ex-Asda employee has been warned he could face prison after marching into the store to shout and swear at a former colleague.

Ian Thomas’ victim was so scared following the incident that she had to be sent home from the supermarket in Huntly.

The 51-year-old had been banned from the shop he used to work in following an incident – which was not explained in court – but he did not go quietly.

Thomas returned to Asda and confronted the female member of staff, shouting and swearing at her before finally being ushered out of the supermarket.

Double rapist jailed for traumatising attacks on two women

A high-risk double rapist who preyed on women when they were asleep or unconscious has been jailed for eight years.

Graeme Irving, 34, carried out sex attacks against two victims at addresses in Inverbervie and the Huntly area of Aberdeenshire.

A judge told him at the High Court in Edinburgh that she acknowledged he had no previous convictions for sex crimes, but pointed out he was assessed as posing a high risk of sexual reoffending.

Judge Fiona Tait said: “Because of the gravity of the offences a custodial sentence is the only appropriate disposal in your case.”

North Sea firm fined £535,000 after workers hurt in crane collapse

An oil and gas company has been fined £535,000 after an offshore worker suffered life-changing injuries when a crane collapsed.

Greig Philip Harwood and John Divers, employees of Enermech Limited, were both injured on the Fulmer Alpha North Sea oil platform on September 11 2017.

Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard that the 13-tonne, 45-metre-long crane boom fell to the deck without warning and flying parts struck both men.

Mr Harwood, who suffered a fractured jaw and lacerations to his chest, needed his jaw to be wired back together and three titanium plates had to be fitted.

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