A round-up of stories from Inverness Sheriff Courts this week
1. Staff refused to return broken bottle of vodka, man got abusive
A 28-year-old Forres man was offensive to staff at a Nairn Scotmid store and then behaved in an abusive manner towards his partner several weeks later.
Yesterday at Inverness Sheriff Court, Dominic Mackenzie of St Leonard’s Court was fined a total of £800 after sentence had been deferred for a background report.
The court was told that on March 30 this year, Mackenzie had bought a bottle of vodka in the shop and returned a few minutes later holding a broken piece.
He and another man claimed the shop’s bag had split, causing the breakage. However, fiscal depute Ross Carvel said the staff did not believe their story and Mackenzie uttered abusive remarks towards them..
Mackenzie also admitted a breach of the peace at his partner’s home in Tolmie Crescent, Nairn, on July 26 and shouting threats at her.
Defence lawyer Rory Gowans said his client had not touched alcohol since September and was about to start a new job.
“He has turned his life around.” Mr Gowans added.
2.Police search man’s home, find drugs he planned to sell
A 23-year-old Inverness man who admitted possession of cannabis with intent to supply was ordered to carry out 140 hours of unpaid community work and placed under social work supervision for 18 months yesterday.
Edmund Lee, of Caledonian Road appeared for sentence after pleading guilty to the offence at an earlier hearing at Inverness Sheriff Court.
The offence took place at his home between March 1, 2015 and May 25, 2015. The court was told police raided his home and found drugs paraphernalia and £250 worth of cannabis, weighing 49.9grams.
Defence lawyer John MacColl told Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood: “He is a cannabis user and from time to time would provide small amounts to friends who requested it.”
3.New father doesn’t remember stealing mountain bike because he had taken drugs
A 24-year-old new father was jailed for five months at Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday after a Sheriff told him he had used up all his chances to stay at liberty.
Sentence had been deferred for a background report on Michael Bradshaw of St Francis Gardens, Inverness, who had earlier admitted stealing a £350 mountain bike on August 10 and then being found an hour later in a car in St Mungo Road with intent to commit theft.
His lawyer, Willie Young said his client didn’t remember much about the incidents because he had taken some drugs.
Mr Young explained: “He was upset at forgetting the anniversary of the deaths of two family members who died on the same date several years apart.”
Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood told Bradshaw, who admitted previous convictions: “Since Spring, you have protested your intention to reform and twice you are back stealing.
“You have used up all your chances.”
4.Man “horrified” to watch himself breaking into shop and stealing shoes
A 35 year old first offender broke into an Inverness city centre shop and stole hundreds of pounds worth of shoes – but told police he can’t remember doing it.
Warren O’Brien, of Delness Way pleaded guilty to the offence which took place at Begg’s shop in the Victorian Market on February 19 this year and sentence was deferred until yesterday at Inverness Sheriff Court.
Defence solicitor John MacColl told the court: “My client has no previous convictions and his reply to the charge by police was ‘I don’t remember anything about it.’
“He was horrified when he saw the CCTV and what he had done.”
Fining O’Brien £500 and ordering him to pay £1,200 compensation to Beggs shoe shop in the Victorian Market, Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood told O’Brien: “You got drunk and behaved very stupidly.”
5.Woman got drunk and fell asleep on sofa in Inverness furniture shop
A Kirkhill woman who was drunk and fell asleep on a sofa in an Inverness furniture shop was jailed for four months at Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday.
Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood was told that 51 year old Sally Johnstone of Birchbrae Drive had a drink problem.
Her lawyer, Patrick O’Dea said she had not co-operated with social workers who had been trying to help her, but she would observe a ban on buying or consuming alcohol.
Johnstone admitted becoming abusive towards police officers who had been called by Harveys’s staff in Telford Street on August 3 to remove her.
The Sheriff told her; “You were on a community payback order with an alcohol treatment requirement and you were not co-operating.
“It puts you in a parlous position. You have been given every chance to stay away from drink and you have exhausted all of them.”
6.Man pulled wife’s hair and punched her after coming home drunk
A man who arrived home drunk and assaulted his wife will be sentenced next month.
Inverness Sheriff Court was told that 43 year old Brian Glass attacked his partner of 25 years at their home in Caledonian Road on May 30.
The court heard she was angry when he came home intoxicated and told him to find somewhere else to stay for the night because she didn’t want him in the house in that state.
Depute fiscal Michelle Molley said Glass ignored his wife and went into the kitchen for more alcohol.
Ms Molley said he then grabbed her by the hair and pulled her from a sofa onto the floor and punched her.
“The accused’s brother arrived at the house and pulled him off,” she added.
Police were called and as officers tried to apply handcuffs, he pushed one on the body and ran off, before being quickly caught.
Glass admitted assaulting his wife and assaulting a police officer.
Defence lawyer Marc Dickson said Glass had his own business employing three people which faltered due to the credit crunch.
“He was drinking too much and is genuinely remorseful. He is now working for a civil contracting company.
“This has been a wake up call to him and he hasn’t drunk to excess since.”
Sheriff Margaret Neilson deferred sentence until October 27 for a background report.
