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Weekend court roll – our round-up of the most-read cases of the week

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Our reporters have been sitting in courtrooms across the north and north-east this week and covered a wide variety of cases – including a man who failed to get proper treatment for his dog’s horrifc facial injuries,  and a teen who stabbed his friend eight times.

Bulldog attacked woman

On Monday we reported on the case of Stephanie Roy who admitted her pet Bulldog was dangerously out of control after it attacked a woman leaving her with a wound which needed hospital treatment.

Stephanie Roy’s large dog ran wild and attacked a lady who was walking her own much smaller dog in Fraserburgh’s Topping Gardens on December 5.

It bit the woman’s finger, drawing blood and leaving a wound that needed hospital attention.

The force of the dog’s lurch also knocked the lady to the ground where she fell upon her own pooch before fleeing home in tears.

Her wound was treated at Fraserburgh accident and emergency.

Stephanie Roy appeared at Peterhead Sheriff Court.

Roy, 32, pled guilty at Peterhead Sheriff Court to being in charge of a dog that was dangerously out of control in that it bit, injured and knocked the Fraserburgh woman to the ground.

Sentencing on Roy, of Fraserburgh’s Topping Gardens, was deferred for four weeks for consideration and investigation of the breed-dependant legalities.

Perv caught with sickening haul of nearly 80,000 images from hidden camera

A sick pervert has dodged a custodial sentence despite being caught with almost 80,000 sexual images and videos obtained using a secret hidden camera.

Steven McCombie, 39, was also caught with hoards of vile indecent images of children, and horrific extreme pornography featuring humans and dogs.

Steven McCombie.

McCombie, of Longate, Peterhead, was ordered to be supervised for three years and complete the Moving Forward, Making Changes programme.

The sheriff also imposed numerous conduct requirements relating to access to devices capable of accessing the internet and storing images, and prohibiting him from having contact with females under 16.

And the sheriff further ordered McCombie to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work, imposed a 10-month curfew, and made him subject to he notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act for three years.

Sex offender jailed after hiding phone inside DVD player in basement

A sex offender has been jailed after hiding a secret mobile phone inside a DVD player in his basement.

Philip Main had previously been handed a court order which banned him from owning devices capable of accessing the internet or taking pictures, but when the police learned he had bought a phone online, they confronted him.

The 38-year-old led officers down to his basements where he pulled a DVD player out from under a storage box, unscrewed and took it apart and revealed his phone.

And the officers also discovered an SD card in his bedroom containing indecent images of children.

Sheriff Morag McLaughlin ordered Main to be jailed for two years and made him subject to the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act for 10 years.

Man killed mum and hid body under rug

A man killed his mother before hiding her body under a rug.

Neil Carmichael, 34, attacked Morag Carmichael at the family home in Drumnadrochit, Inverness-shire last December 7.

The case called on Tuesday.

The 66 year-old – well known in the local area for running a donkey sanctuary – was stabbed six times as well as suffering fractures to her skull, neck and cheekbones.

Carmichael later told his father Kenneth that Morag was dead.

Morag Carmichael.

Carmichael had faced a murder charge during a hearing at the High Court in Glasgow.

But, he was acquitted after prosecutors accepted he was not criminally responsible at the time due to a “drug induced” mental disorder.

He will remain at the State Hospital in Carstairs meantime for treatment.

It was concluded, at the time of the killing, he was suffering from “drug induced psychosis”.

Judge Lord Doherty ordered Carmichael to remain at Carstairs on an interim compulsion order. The case will call again in November in Edinburgh.

Dangerous driver lied to police

A dangerous driver who crashed his car into a wall then fled the scene leaving the wreckage in the middle of the road later lied to police by telling officers his car had been stolen.

Bannor Masson, 25, was handed a driving ban and a fine for wasting police time after he crashed his car into a wall on the B9031 Fraserburgh to Rosehearty road on August 23, 2020.

Bannor Masson.

He admitted driving dangerously and wasting police time at Peterhead Sheriff Court.

Masson, of Mormond Avenue, Fraserburgh, was a total of £805 and banned from the road for 12 months.

He must also sit an extended driving test to regain his licence.

Unpaid work for aan who grew cannabis

A man caught with almost £23,000 of cannabis who told police it was for “personal use” has been ordered to carry out unpaid work.

Bruce Harvey’s cannabis farm was discovered when officers raided his secluded Turriff home and seized an air rifle that did not have a certificate.

The 60-year-old admitted it was his cultivation, but claimed he was growing the class B drug for personal use and was “self-medicating”.

Bruce Harvey.

He pled guilty to producing and being concerned in the supply of cannabis between September 24, 2018 and September 8, 2020, and to having an air rifle without a certificate.

Harvey, of Turriff, who appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court was ordered by Sheriff Morag McLaughlin, to be supervised for two years and carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.

She also imposed a curfew for 10 months.

Man stabbed dad-of-one in the chest

On Wednesday we featured a man who admitted stabbing a 40-year old dad in the chest over a £200 debt.

Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard how Billy McIntyre, then aged just 19, turned up at his victim’s home after midnight along with two other men to collect money and lunged at the man with a knife.

When the man and his cousin attempted the scare the group off, the father-of-one was left with a puncture wound in his chest that just missed his vital organs.

Billy McIntyre leaving Aberdeen Sheriff Court.

McIntyre, now 20, was described by his solicitor as a young man who “hasn’t had his moral compass fixed”.

The court heard that two men had turned up at the man’s home on Rosehill Court, Aberdeen on the evening of October 14 last year as he owed one of them £200.

Sheriff McLaughlin sentenced McIntyre, of Provost Rust Drive, Aberdeen, to 12-months detention.

Drug driver stopped by member of public

A member of the public came to the rescue when a drug driver with two burst tyres forced a string of cars onto the verge while swerving in and out of oncoming traffic.

Dee Buchanan had been taking prescribed Diazepam following a head injury when she got behind the wheel of her blue Volkswagen Polo on the B9170 Oldmeldrum to Inverurie road.

However, the drugs affected the 57-year-old to the extent she was swerving in and out of oncoming traffic forcing other cars onto the grass verge, striking kerbs, driving over a roundabout, and bursting two tyres so she was driving on just the metal rims.

Dee Buchanan leaving court.

Dee Buchanan leaving court.Buchanan had continued to drive, largely oblivious to the seriousness of the situation, until a member of the public managed managed to bring her to a stop by overtaking her and slowly stopping in front of her.

Buchanan, whose last name was given in court papers as Adam or Haines or Moir or Bond or Buchanan, pled guilty to two charges.

She admitted dangerous driving and driving while unfit through drugs.

Sheriff William Summers told Buchanan, of New Park Steading, Kingswells: “You pled guilty to a shocking episode of dangerous driving.”

He banned her from driving for four years and imposed 12 months’ supervision and 240 hours of unpaid work as a direct alternative to a custodial sentence.

Man spat at police during height of pandemic

A man who spat at a police constable who tried to help him was told his actions, which happened at the height of the pandemic, were “disgusting”.

Leslie Robertson had also kicked the officer in the stomach during the incident on December 30, last year.

Inverness Sheriff Court was told it happened in Masonic Close, Elgin when the two officers saw a man lying in the stairwell.

Inverness Sheriff Court.

Fiscal depute Robert Weir told Sheriff Margaret Neilson the officers tried to help  Robertson, 41,  to his feet when he lashed out with his legs, making contact with one.

As they attempted to restrain Robertson he spat at the officer.

Noting Robertson’s previous convictions which were admitted, Sheriff Neilson commented: “It is disgusting particularly as it was during the Covid pandemic.”

She deferred sentence on Robertson, of Morriston Road, Elgin, until next month for a background report.

Learner driver’s police chase in gran’s car

On Thursday we told of 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.

Gemma Paterson appeared at Banff Sheriff Court.

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 failed to get treatment for dog’s horrific injuries

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.

Brock had horrifc facial injuries.

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, 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.

Man assaulted reveller who insulted him

On Friday we told of a karaoke singer assaulted a fellow reveller who insulted him after his performance, leaving him requiring hospital treatment.

Darren Stephenson, 29, pushed the man outside McNasty’s. on Summer Street, causing him to fall to the ground and hit his head on the road.

The male had earlier become “verbally abusive” after Stephenson had performed karaoke inside the venue.

McNasty’s on Summer Street, Aberdeen.Following the incident, Stephenson’s victim was taken to hospital by ambulance and received treatment for a cut above his eye.

Sheriff William Summers deferred sentence for reports and ordered Stephenson’s personal appearance.

Woman fined over racist rant

A woman who hurled racist abuse at a fellow bus passenger in Inverness has been ordered to pay the victim compensation.

Sharon Hughes, 52, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court for sentencing over the incident on November 7 last year.

Hughes previously pled guilty to a charge of acting in a racially aggravated manner which caused, or was intended to cause, alarm or distress.

Ordering Hughes to pay compensation of £300 plus a £20 victim surcharge Sheriff Ian Cruickshank said: “Your behaviour is clearly totally unacceptable.”

Sharon Hughes was fined over a racist rant.

Man caught with coke haul fear Nigerian mafia hit

A man who was caught with more than £6,000 worth of cocaine has claimed he was forced to sell drugs after being on the run from the Nigerian mafia.

Elixlis Ejiofor, 37, admitted at Aberdeen Sheriff Court to being concerned in the supply of the Class A drug, while also providing a fake identity to cops in order to conceal his identity.

The court heard that Ejiofor had turned to selling drugs as a means to make money and avoid returning to Nigeria – where a bounty had been put on his head.

The 37-year old was snared as part of a police sting operation at properties on Headland Court and Portland Street, Aberdeen in November 2020.

Ejiofor was found with more than 70 grams of cocaine – which had a street value of £6,090.

Sheriff Morag McLaughlin told the 37-year old that he was selling a Class A drug that causes “significant harm” and it was this she would have to take into account.

She sentenced Ejiofor, whose address was given as HMP Grampian, to 18 months in prison, backdated to November 27 2020.

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