Thursday courts round-up – A learner driver who took her gran’s car and the teen who stabbed his pal

Good evening – it was a varied day in courtrooms across our areas.

Learner driver’s police chase in gran’s car

A learner driver who stole her granny’s car sparked a police chase through a north-east town, and only stopped once she’d led officers to her front door.

And less than two months later Gemma Paterson was involved in another police chase in a different car in Fraserburgh.

Paterson took the keys to her grandmother’s white Suzuki from the bowl in the kitchen after telling her relative she was popping to the back door for a cigarette on June 13.

The 21-year-old didn’t return to her grandmother’s house, though, and instead took her relative’s credit card, £20 cash and her car.

The car was reported stolen and police spotted Paterson the next morning, she failed to stop for police and the pursuit through streets in Macduff and Banff started.

Paterson, of Wilson Road, Banff, was disqualified from driving for 12 months and given a total of 180 hours unpaid work.

Teen stabbed friend eight times

A teen dad who left his friend seriously injured after stabbing him eight times was told he was “fortunate” not to be facing a murder charge as he was locked up for more than two years.

The 17-year-old was sentenced to 27 months detention for the attack on his teen victim who sustained a lacerated liver during the incient and had to be treated in the high dependency unit.

The teenager, who cannot be named due to being under the age of 18, told his 17-year-old victim  during the attack “if you die, it is your fault”.

His sentencing hearing was held at the High Court in Inverness, and was the first time the high court had sat in the city for several years.

Man put girlfriend in choke hold

A jealous boyfriend has admitted attempting to choke his partner after he discovered she was still in contact with an old flame.

Jan Bober, 19, assaulted his long-term girlfriend upon finding a social media message to her ex on her phone while the pair were at a party in the Granite City on September 27, 2020.

Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard how friends had to come to the woman’s aid to free her after Bober placed her in a choke hold.

He later told his victim he was “going to kill her” as he continued to physically and verbally attack her in the street – resulting in her having to run to a neighbour’s house for help.

Fiscal depute Felicity Merson told the court that Bober had become enraged after he noticed a Snapchat message from his partner’s ex-boyfriend.

Sheriff Morag McLaughlin told Bober, of Rosemount Square, Aberdeen, that he was “extremely young” to be committing such serious offences.

She sentenced him to an 18-month community packback order with a supervision requirement and ordered Bober to carry out 225 hours unpaid work.

Man angry over benefit cut smashed windows

A north man smashed windows at Inverness Job Centre because he was angry about a cut to his benefits.

Jamie McLaughlan, 23,  also targeted the Highland Council headquarters in the same way as he had “animosity” over his years in the care system.

He appeared for sentencing at Inverness Sheriff Court on Thursday having admitted two charges of willful or reckless damage at a previous hearing.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank handed down a community payback order with 18 months supervision.

He also placed McLaughlan, of Old Steading Road, Inverness, on a curfew order requiring him to stay at home between the hours of 7pm to 7am for six months.

Man failed to get treatment for dog’s horrific facial wounds

A north-east man has admitted failing to get proper treatment for the horrific facial wounds his dog suffered – including having his nostril partly ripped off, after he used him for badger baiting.

Liam Taylor bought the male Bull Lurcher dog, called Brock, with the intention of using him for “pig digging”, the term often used for badger baiting, between September 21 and October 8, 2019.

The 32-year-old was caught after graphics showing the dog’s injuries, as well as “trophy photos” of him hunting using the dog, were ordered online and the concerned business owner reported the suspected abuse.

Officers from the Scottish SPCA animal welfare charity found the injured dog, called Brock, at Taylor’s home in Deyhill, Macduff, suffering from missing teeth, an injured face and paw, one nostril part-ripped off and cuts around his muzzle area.

Taylor, who didn’t appear in person at the hearing at Banff Sheriff Court, pled guilty to charges of causing unnecessary suffering and failing to get treatment for the animal, and of training or keeping an animal to fight another.

His defence agent reserved mitigation for Taylor’s personal appearance at a sentencing diet, deferred to allow for background reports, next month.

For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen, as well as the latest crime and breaking incidents, join our new Facebook group HERE.