Our reporters have been sitting in courtrooms across the north and north-east this week and covered a wide variety of cases.
‘Unlucky’ e-scooter rider hit BMW in Aberdeen causing nearly £6k damage
An uninsured e-scooter rider who smashed into a BMW and was knocked out cold has been told he is lucky the incident was not more serious.
Brandon Stevenson caused almost £6,000 worth of damage to the other vehicle when he lost control of the e-scooter in the Hilton area of Aberdeen.
Stevenson, 30, ploughed into the BMW driven by a mother who was carrying her eight-year-old son, damaging the car and launching him into the air.
He landed on the road and lay there unconscious and unresponsive for around two minutes.
‘Staggering’ drink-driver left car on A97 roadside between Huntly and Rhynie
A driver seen “staggering” away from a vehicle he abandoned at the roadside near Huntly had made a “miscalculation” about his alcohol consumption, a court was told.
Robert Gibson appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, where he admitted getting behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol.
Eyewitnesses saw the 49-year-old dad-of-two on the side of the A97 between Rhynie and Huntly last summer.
They observed him shuffling away from his vehicle during the early hours of the morning.
Child rapist locked up after young Aberdeenshire girl, 11, suffered three-year sex abuse ordeal
An Aberdeenshire child rapist who repeatedly abused an underage girl was warned he faces a “significant” prison sentence after a jury convicted him today.
Paul Cowie sexually assaulted and raped the young survivor during a catalogue of abuse that began when the child was aged just 11.
The court heard that the girl suffered the ordeal between 2013 and 2016 in Aberdeenshire.
Buckie marine biologist jailed for child abuse video downloads
A marine biologist who was sacked after being convicted of stockpiling indecent child abuse videos has been jailed.
Digital forensic examination of Christopher McWhirter’s laptop uncovered around 180 videos in folders titled “filth” and “my dirty life”.
The computer stored hours of footage featuring children as young as four, along with extreme pornography, all downloaded between June 2021 and October 2022.
Aberdeen domestic abuser choked woman and threatened to leave her brain dead
A jealous and rage-filled domestic abuser has been jailed after subjecting his former partner to terrifying assaults and threats that he would leave her “brain dead”.
Luke James, 28, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted a catalogue of violent attacks and threats against his former partner.
During a series of disturbing incidents, James repeatedly punched the woman to the face and throttled her to the point where she thought she was going to die.
James also told her he would “stab” her and would “end up murdering her”.
Fort William sex offender avoids jail for sexual assaults on teens
A Fort William sex offender who sexually assaulted three young victims has avoided jail.
Robert Lawrie was convicted of the sex assaults, indecent communication, voyeurism and sexual exposure following a trial at Inverness Sheriff Court.
At the sentencing hearing today, a sheriff said it was “alarming” that he failed to recognise the criminality of his behaviour.
Inverness cocaine dealer could be made to give up £60,000 in criminal earnings
An Inverness teenager who sold cocaine across the north-east for six months could be forced to give up the money he earned while doing so, a court has heard.
Ryan-Lee Nash appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on Tuesday to lodge pleas of guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and having £61,035 through criminal conduct.
Sentence was deferred on the 19-year-old, however, for the preparation of background reports.
Mastrick man who brandished kitchen knife during neighbour feud avoids prison
A Mastrick man who brandished a large kitchen knife at his hammer-wielding neighbour has avoided a prison sentence.
Ian Cowie, 38, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted repeatedly pulling out the knife in a public place during a feud with the man.
The incident culminated in Cowie approaching the man’s vehicle in an attempt to scare him off.
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Two men jailed after huge cannabis farm found in former Peterhead nightclub
Two men have been jailed after a huge cannabis farm was found hidden inside a former Peterhead nightclub.
Iraldo Sarasellil and Ronaldo Abazi, both 26, appeared at Peterhead Sheriff Court today to be sentenced after admitting growing and supplying the drug from inside the former Deja Vu nightclub.
Their operation came to light in September last year when police stormed the old nightspot on Queen Street and uncovered hundreds of cannabis plants.
The building was shut down and the drugs – valued at an estimated £1.5 million – were pulled seized.
Former Aberdeen man found guilty of historic abuse of young boys
A former Aberdeen man has been found guilty of historic sex offences against young boys.
Nigel Beacham, 50, targeted one of his victims in 2004, when the child was just 12, and continued abusing him until the age of 16.
The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is now an adult and told the jury at Aberdeen Sheriff Court that Beacham touched his penis and performed a sex act on him.
Jail for man who punched his partner and spat on her mum
A man has been jailed following an incident during which he punched his partner and spat on her mum.
Steven Potter had previously admitted threatening or abusive behaviour towards the two women, as well as charges of assault and assault to injury.
His solicitor told the court that Potter may have been in the grips of a drug-induced psychosis at the time of his crimes, which took place at Morrisons in Inverness.
Motorist 16 times over drug-drive limit disqualified in Oban
A motorist has pleaded guilty to being 16 times over the drug-driving limit.
Steven Bathgate, 35, was driving on the A85 near to Oban on August 22 2024 when police had cause to stop him at 7.50pm.
Police were concerned Bathgate was unfit to drive and conducted a roadside drug saliva test, which proved positive for illegal drugs.
Bathgate of Braes Avenue, Clydebank, was then taken by officers to Oban Police Station.
Tain man who ran from police had cannabis worth more than £20,000
A man who ran from police in Tain had cannabis potentially worth more than £20,000, a court had been told.
Dean Sutherland ran from uniformed officers when he spotted them in Mansefield Estate, Tain.
He was traced and searched, with police recovering two bags of cannabis with a combined weight of more than 1.3 kilograms.
Oban man jailed after grabbing woman and threatening to ‘kill’ in town centre
An Oban man has been jailed for four months after grabbing a woman and threatening to “kill” people.
Brendan McGuckin, who is of no fixed abode, appeared from custody at Oban Sheriff Court on Tuesday.
He pleaded guilty to seizing a woman by the body and lifting her arms using force in Station Square on May 12.
He also admitted causing fear or alarm by acting aggressively and repeatedly shouting and swearing.
Man broke into Highland hotel – then stayed for drinks
A man broke into a Highland hotel – then stayed for a two-hour drinking session, Inverness Sheriff Court was told.
Duncan McLaren was caught on CCTV forcing entry to the bar of the Balavil Sports Hotel in Newtonmore.
After helping himself to bottles of alcohol, he sat down at a table – and stayed for around two and a half hours.
On the same date, McLaren smashed the window of an unoccupied holiday let in the Highland village.
Woman accused of starting two fires in Fort William appears in court
A woman has appeared in private at Inverness Sheriff Court in connection with alleged wilful fire-raising at a block of flats in Fort William.
Emma Lauder, 32, appeared before Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald and was represented by Inverness lawyer John MacColl, who confirmed his client was making no plea to two charges.
The first charge alleges that on May 8, at the block of flats at 70–80 Kennedy Road, Plantation, Fort William, Lauder wilfully set fire to a wooden pallet that had been placed against a communal door.
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Men avoid jail after they assaulted balaclava-clad boy, 16, in Aberdeen
Two men have avoided a prison sentence after they beat up a 16-year-old boy who approached them wearing a balaclava.
Steven Dunlop, 26, and Rhian Doran, 27, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where they admitted getting into a verbal and physical altercation with the teenager and his friends as they stood on George Street in Aberdeen.
It is understood that the teens were wearing balaclavas when one of them accidentally walked into a parked car, sending the two older men into hysterics.
Oban man had to put his pet dog down – so strangled it in the bathroom
An Oban man who pleaded guilty to strangling his American Bully dog has been warned he faces jail for the “awful” crime.
Harry Russell, 42, killed his dog, called Rex, after a neighbour complained about his pet’s aggressive behaviour.
After agreeing with his then-partner that Rex should be put down, Russell took the dog into a bathroom and throttled him to death, Oban Sheriff Court was told.
Community payback officer handed penalty points for head-on crash on A85 near Tyndrum
A community payback supervisor admitted to tailgating on the A85 near Tyndrum, causing a head-on crash.
Sophie Lejeune, 35, was on a motorbike on September 24 2024, when she drove without due care and attention and failed to leave a safe stopping distance while overtaking.
Oban Sheriff Court heard on Monday that the incident happened near to Abrinbea Cottage, when Lejeune crossed into the path of an oncoming vehicle, causing an accident.
Dangerous driver sped away from police – then reported car stolen
A dangerous driver sped away from police in Inverness, then reported his vehicle stolen.
James Milne drove the wrong way down a one-way street, ignored police blue lights and ran a red light before officers stood down.
He reported the car he had been driving stolen, but later admitted to police he had been driving.
Second man accused of Johnny Foxes attempted murder
A second person has appeared in court accused of the attempted murder of a man at an Inverness nightspot.
Aiden Mackenzie appeared in private at Inverness Sheriff Court to face a charge that he assaulted Daniel Mackay at Johnny Foxes.
The 20-year-old also faces an additional charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.
Peterhead man killed mum in frenzied knife attack in her home
A Peterhead man has admitted stabbing his mum to death in a brutal knife attack at their home.
Jonathon Divers, 32, struck Elizabeth Watson, 58, at least 40 times at their home in Peterhead on June 27 2023.
Divers – who was previously locked up aged 17 for stabbing a stranger in the neck – argued with churchgoer Elizabeth after she raised concerns due to the effects of alcohol on him.
Inverness dad jailed for delivering £14,820 of cocaine to Oban
An Inverness dad who couriered £14,820 of cocaine to Oban will spend the next 18 months behind bars.
Aaron Grant, 26, had argued that, as a single parent to a young child, he should not be sent to jail. But Sheriff Euan Cameron said there was no alternative to custody.
Oban Sheriff Court heard on Wednesday that Grant, of Millerton Avenue, had got himself into trouble with a drug debt.
Grant pled guilty at an earlier hearing.
Rowing coach sexually assaulted woman outside Aberdeen boat club
A senior Aberdeen rowing coach has been sentenced in court for sexually assaulting a woman and assaulting a young rower.
Ian Duncan appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and admitted repeatedly touching the bottom of a teenager, who was under the age of 18, in 2013 and 2014.
Duncan was a trustee of Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association (ASRA) until April 2021 and a rowing coach there for more than 20 years.