Our reporters have been sitting in courtrooms across the north and north-east this week and covered a wide variety of cases.
Inverurie conman stole single mum’s life savings
A shameless fraudster conned a single mum out of her life savings and a dad out of his daughter’s wedding fund then blamed his dishonesty on a gambling addiction.
Disgraceful James Anderson, 43, betrayed his own friends by exploiting their misfortune and tricked half a dozen of them into parting with £22,274.
He’d turned on the charm to get them to pay into a fake financial scheme and pretended to invest their hard-earned cash in stocks and shares.
Highland boxing champion narrowly avoids jail
A former Highland teen boxing champion carried out a series of vicious unprovoked attacks against three men, knocking one unconscious and biting another’s ear so badly he has been left permanently disfigured.
But despite the shocking nature of the offences – two of which were carried out while he was on bail for the other assault – Darrell Russell was not sent to prison.
Instead, the 21-year-old, who represented Scotland and had dreams of going to the Olympics, was given a community sentence.
Revellers chased, punched and kicked man on Union Street
An Aberdeen sheriff said that city centre violence is “a problem which has to be addressed” after hearing details of yet another brutal attack.
Two revellers have been handed unpaid work after chasing and battering a man on Union Street – leaving him permanently scarred.
Philip Sinclair, 20, and Samuel Stevenson, 23, first encountered their victim as he was having an altercation with someone else but quickly got involved themselves.
The man tried to flee the duo but was chased, punched and kicked before the attack came to an end.
Racist thug avoids prison after flurry of violence at Aberdeen bar
A violent reveller who was being ejected from an Aberdeen pub uttered a vile racist slur at a bouncer before stripping to the waist and shouting: “I’m a boxer!”
Kevin McDonald’s behaviour at Legends Sports Bar in Aberdeen was described as “abhorrent” as he racially abused a doorman before assaulting him.
As other bar staff tried to calm him down, McDonald violently set about three others and he was heard to shout that he was “a boxer, who’s next?”
Elgin postie describes terrifying mauling by danger dog
The owner of a dog who viciously mauled a postie in Elgin has been ordered to pay her compensation.
Rebecca Phillipson, 30, had denied her German Shepherd Lurcher cross called Lassie had been out of control but was found guilty after a trial at Elgin Sheriff Court.
Postal worker Jane Moxham, 56, gave evidence and described how she had to fight off the dog after it “latched on” and bit her arm, leg and breast during the attack on April 7 last year.
Serial killer-obsessed schoolboy caught in Moray with ‘murder kit’
A warped schoolboy was caught in Moray with a “murder kit” amid plans to kill a teenage girl he was obsessed with.
The 16-year-old stashed an airgun, shovel, wrench, duct tape and rope in the boot of a car as he went hunting for his former friend in Moray in March last year.
The boy – who had a fascination with horror films, serial killers and bondage – was only halted when his own mother became aware of his disturbing intentions.
He went on to state he “did not care about the consequences” of what he planned to carry out.
Wester Ross hotel manager and chef created fake employee to con boss
A Wester Ross hotel general manager and his chef conspired to defraud the owner out of thousands of pounds by creating a fake employee and splitting the pay packet.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that 45-year-old James McEachern hired a teenage family member to work for 30 days at the Balmacara Hotel in Kyle of Lochalsh but paid him £8,770.98 when he was only due £1,980.
A total of £18,226.16 was also paid into a bank account under the fictitious name of David Smith when it was actually the account for the hotel’s 53-year-old chef, Graham Smith.
The pair then split the money between them, fiscal depute Emily Hood told Sheriff Sara Matheson.
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Sheriff blasts violent boyfriend after Aberdeen hotel assault
A repeat domestic offender who battered his partner in an Aberdeen hotel has been warned by a sheriff he has “a problem”.
Sheriff Robert Frazer blasted Thomas McKenna as he gave him a strong jail warning after his latest domestic offence.
The furious sheriff told the 23-year-old that “absolutely no one deserves to be treated like this” while his partner, who has stuck by him, watched on in court.
Man put on register after public sex act in underpants and Rangers top
A football fan has been placed on the register after performing a sex act in public in Aberdeen while wearing just his underpants and a Rangers shirt.
James Govan managed to lock himself out of his flat in a state of partial undress after drinking an “industrial amount” of vodka.
But after going to his local Keystore for assistance, the 32-year-old put his hands down his boxers and masturbated.
Elgin teen loses licence after admitting careless driving
An Elgin teenager has lost his licence after he admitted driving carelessly and without insurance.
Ryan Slater, 18, was caught driving on the A96 last year near Elgin’s High Street with his driver’s door open and swerving across the road.
Elgin Sheriff Court heard that Slater had been in a black Renault Clio at around 3.30am on August 6.
Thief posed as gardener before breaking into Aberdeen flat
A thief posed as a gardener before breaking into an Aberdeen flat and stealing thousands of pounds worth of belongings.
Hugh Croll was lurking on the ground floor landing of the block on King Street when two women passed him on their way out.
The pair turned down the offer of gardening work and thought nothing more of it, until they returned home that evening and discovered Croll had broken into a neighbour’s flat.
Pair handed 10-year ban after farm inspection found animals living in ‘squalid’ conditions
An Inverurie farm worker and his partner have been banned from keeping animals after some of their livestock and pets were found to have experienced unnecessary suffering.
Gillian Moir, 26, and Adrian Ogg, 44, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where they admitted keeping small animals in “squalid” conditions while other livestock, such as ponies and goats, were discovered in an emaciated state.
Sheep were found to have suffered weight loss, which wasn’t investigated by either of the pair.
Aberdeen man caught with vile sexual images of children as young as 4
An Aberdeen man has been ordered to stay away from kids after being caught with vile sexual images of children as young as four.
Kyle Mellis was caught when police received intelligence that an indecent video of a child had been uploaded from his Instagram account.
Officers swooped on his home where the 28-year-old immediately confessed to having “a couple of images on his phone”.
Aberdeen gran turned to crime aged 66 – for the thrill of it
An Aberdeen granny has turned to a life of crime at the age of 66 – because stealing gives her a “good feeling”.
Miklos Szabo had never offended in her life, either in the UK or in her native Hungary, until December.
For reasons she struggles to explain, the 66-year-old went on a month-long shoplifting spree, targeting Asda at the beach five times and even the nearby Cancer Research charity shop.
Man bought woman rose before stalking her through city centre
A man who stalked a woman through the streets of Aberdeen at 3am before grabbing her around the waist has been placed on the sex offenders register.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told creepy meat packer Almeida Fernandes presented his victim with a single red rose and told her: “Do not worry. It’s okay. I’m coming home with you.”
The 43-year-old went on to follow her for around two miles before he was finally pushed away by the increasingly panicked woman’s boyfriend, who turned up at the scene after being alerted by phone.
Drink-driver crashed Jaguar at Aberdeen roundabout
A drink-driving offshore worker was caught almost three times the legal limit after crashing his Jaguar near a busy Aberdeen roundabout.
John Hastie took the “rash decision” to drive home following a boozy lunch and was involved in a collision at the Wellington Road roundabout junction with Hareness Road.
Prosecutors accepted the 41-year-old was not guilty of dangerous driving over the crash, but he has now admitted to being just shy of three times over the alcohol limit.
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M-cat dealer claimed he was just sharing with friends at gig
An M-cat dealer caught with scales, bags and cash claimed he had £800 of the drug to share with friends at a gig.
Breckin Hay was caught when police pulled him over on Merkland Road due to “driving erratically”.
After spotting white powder in his car, officers searched it and found 61.2g of M-cat, worth between £600 and £800.
Man goes on trial accused of murdering Highland dog owner
A Highland dog owner was strangled by a man who later returned to his decomposing victim’s home and took his labradoodle, a court heard yesterday.
The body of Donald Patience, 45, originally from Alness, was discovered underneath a duvet cover at the bottom of his stairs by police who responded to reports of a burglary at the end terrace house.
A postman called 999 on the morning of August 22 last year when he saw a male figure climbing through a rear window of the property in Radcliffe, Greater Manchester, and heard a noise like someone trying to force entry.
Football coach appears in court over alleged assaults
A man has appeared in court charged with assault in connection to a series of alleged violent incidents that took place during a youth football match in Aberdeen.
Shaun Barney, 36, appeared in private at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he is charged with two counts of assault and one charge of assault to severe injury and permanent disfigurement.
He made no plea and was released on bail.
Stalker followed old school classmates and encouraged teen to poison family
A sinister stalker said he was “raging with testosterone” as he confronted old school friends, threatened members of his judo club and even encouraged a teenage boy to poison his family.
Andrew Will admitted a string of disturbing offences when he appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
The 27-year-old followed and pestered a woman he went to school with and lurked outside Lidl for two hours after she darted inside to escape his advances.
He went on to harass her for close to a year over social media, the court heard.
Men in court after £285,000 of cannabis found in Market Street flats
Two men appeared in court today after £285,000 of cannabis was found growing in three Aberdeen city centre flats.
Police raided the properties – which were in a single Market Street building – yesterday in an operation involving the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce.
Officers hailed the discovery as a blow to the drugs trade in the city and pledged to keep up the pressure on criminal gangs in the area.
Drink-driver crashed Jaguar at Aberdeen roundabout
A drink-driving offshore worker was caught almost three times the legal limit after crashing his Jaguar near a busy Aberdeen roundabout.
John Hastie took the “rash decision” to drive home following a boozy lunch and was involved in a collision at the Wellington Road roundabout junction with Hareness Road.
Prosecutors accepted the 41-year-old was not guilty of dangerous driving over the crash, but he has now admitted to being just shy of three times over the alcohol limit.
M-cat dealer claimed he was just sharing with friends at gig
An M-cat dealer caught with scales, bags and cash claimed he had £800 of the drug to share with friends at a gig.
Breckin Hay was caught when police pulled him over on Merkland Road due to “driving erratically”.
After spotting white powder in his car, officers searched it and found 61.2g of M-cat, worth between £600 and £800.
Dons fan cleared of holding offensive sectarian banner at Ibrox
A Dons fan was today cleared of holding a banner saying “Kill All Huns” at a Rangers and Aberdeen match.
Neale Ross – who appeared in the dock at Glasgow Sheriff Court wearing a red and white tie – was alleged to have committed the offence at Ibrox Stadium on October 29 2022.
Rangers hosted foes Aberdeen in a match that the Glasgow side won 4-1.
Court papers stated Ross, 35, conducted himself in a disorderly manner at the match.
Dons fan made covert sex tape in pub toilets then showed pals
A Dons fan could be put on the sex offenders register after showing a covert sex tape to friends on a supporters bus to Edinburgh.
Kevin Joseph filmed himself having sex with a woman in the toilets of The Foundry in Aberdeen, the city’s sheriff court was told.
The 30-year-old then showed the video to shocked friends while on board a supporters bus down to the capital for an Aberdeen vs Hibernian match.
Unpaid work for ex-policeman who made threats and brandished knife
A former police officer who verbally abused his neighbour and threatened to shoot her brother has been ordered to complete unpaid work in the community.
Donald Bain called the woman a “c***” and “w****” prompting her to call her brother to her home.
But when the man tried to speak to Bain, the pensioner made the shooting threats, before coming out of his house with a knife in his hand.
Man bit and threatened to kill police who interrupted house party
An Aberdeen man bit police officers and threatened to kill them when they interrupted a house party at 5.40am.
Declan Ewen lost the plot when police turned up at the address on Printfield Walk in response to a report of a disturbance.
Occupants reassured police there was no disturbance, but explained they were having a party.
Jail for Liverpudlian dealer who blocked toilet
A Liverpudlian drug dealer was caught out by officers when he blocked a toilet while trying to dispose of cocaine and heroin.
Ryan Day was unsuccessful in his attempts to flush £20,000 of the Class A drugs down the toilet when officers entered the property in Culloden, Inverness Sheriff Court was told.
Wraps of cocaine and packages of heroin were found floating in the bowl and Day was arrested. He later admitted being concerned in the supply of controlled drugs.
Drunk carer abandoned disabled man at country music festival
A Highland carer took an elderly disabled man to a country music festival where she downed pints of wine and then abandoned him.
Rhona Duncan, 50, left the wheelchair-bound man on his own at the Thainstone Agricultural Centre music event then got drunk, acted “obnoxiously” and flirted with men, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
Staff at the venue contacted police after they became concerned about the welfare of the man, who tearfully told officers he felt “uncared for”.
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