Here are four stories you may have missed from Inverness Sheriff Court this week.
1. A new father of twins took drugs after hearing bad news about their health, a court was told.
Michael Bradshaw was seen in the grounds of a property in Friars Place, Inverness, on Tuesday afternoon acting suspiciously.
But when officers went to the scene, 25-year-old Bradshaw, of Kilmuir Road, collapsed unconscious and an ambulance was called.
However as he was being treated in hospital, Bradshaw was racially abusive towards his doctor.
Bradshaw was arrested and appeared from custody at Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday and admitted behaving in an racially aggressive manner at Raigmore Hospital.
He also pleaded guilty to being in a property whereby it could be inferred he intended to commit theft.
As he was on a drug treatment and testing order, sentence was deferred until April 13 for a social work report. He was remanded in custody.
Defence agent Willie Young said his client had just received “less than positive news” about the health of his twins.
“He recalls little about what occurred. He has let himself, his partner and his family down.”
2. A former council foreman took alcohol for the first time in two years and ended up in trouble with the police.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that 50 year old Brian Mackenzie of King Brude Gardens, Inverness had turned up his music to loud to drown out the music coming from a nearby property.
Police were called to his home in the early hours of July 9 last year and asked him to turn it down which he did.
But the court heard officers had to return when Mackenzie turned it back up again.
Fiscal depute Robert Weir said Mackenzie had a knife in his hand when he went to the door and refused to let the police in. But he eventually threw it out a window and allowed the police entry, Mr Weir added.
Defence solicitor Pauline Chapman said her client had been drinking gin and tonics and had the knife to cut lemon. “He still had it in his hand when police arrived.
“He was in a low mood as he suffers from anxiety and depression after being diagnosed with a heart condition and being forced to give up work.”
3. A 54 year old Alness man who had taken cocaine to a music festival was fined £500 yesterday.
At Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday, William Fraser of Shillinghill, who had a number of previous drugs convictions, admitted illegal possession at Belladrum on August 3.
4. A father-of-two “lost control” when confronted with the man he believed was threatening him and his children.
Alistair Mitchell repeatedly punched and kicked Robert Anthony, 37, outside the Caledonian Bar in the early hours of October 28 last year.
Mr Anthony was left with a broken tibia and fibula, a dislocated ankle and extensive bruising after the violent encounter.
At an earlier hearing, Mitchell admitted assaulting Mr Anthony to injury but claimed he was provoked by his victim after a series of text messages and phone calls in previous days.
After a proof of mitigation at Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday, defence solicitor John MacColl successfully proved to Sheriff Margaret Neilson that his client had acted under provocation.
In evidence, Mitchell claimed Mr Anthony, who was his ex-partner’s new boyfriend, had sent him “vile and disgusting” texts including threats of violence.
Mr Anthony then gave evidence and admitted that some of his texts were “not very nice and may have been nasty.”
But he also claimed he was receiving threats from Mitchell.
Sheriff Neilson said she was “narrowly persuaded” that there had been provocation in this case.
She called for a background report and 44 year old Mitchell of Carbisdale Gardens, Inverness will return for sentence on April 19.
