Friday courts round-up – chef’s assault and pepper-spray

Good evening – here are the stories that caught the attention of our reporters today.

Woman’s disgusting taunts to mum of disabled child

A woman used social media to threaten and taunt a mother about her disabled child.

Naomi Cowie sent a barrage of menacing messages about the woman’s non-verbal autistic son on Facebook Messenger.

Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard how the 29-year-old also messaged her victim stating that she “hoped her kids would die”.

The terms used by Cowie were so shocking that it provoked a sheriff to describe them as “quite disgusting”.

Domestic abuser’s attack on pregnant girlfriend

A domestic abuser who put his pregnant girlfriend in a headlock and dragged her along the floor has been warned he faces jail if he repeats his “absolutely disgusting” behaviour.

Tomas Pocta’s partner was six months pregnant when some of the abuse happened and he told her: “I will treat you like your ex did because you deserve it”.

After the birth of their child he also threatened to kill his partner after an argument at their home in Aberdeen’s Park Place in May this year.

Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard how Pocta and his partner had been in a relationship for a number of years and were expecting their first child together in the summer of 2020.

Man jailed over abuse towards shop workers

A man who hurled abuse at shop workers told one he should “go back home” and grabbed another by the throat.

Charles Gordon has been handed a 10-month prison sentence after abusing shop workers between January and February this year.

The 42-year-old, of Aberdeen, warned an Aldi shop assistant “you better watch yourself … I will get you” after he was approached suspected of shoplifting at the Cornhill shopping arcade.

The worker stepped back to “try to calm the situation” but Gordon lunged at him and grabbed him by the neck.

Chef gets pepper-sprayed

A chef who assaulted a police officer in broad daylight in a playpark after taking a cocktail of Buckfast and valium has been fined £720.

Inverness Sheriff Court heard that a friend of Daniel McAllister, 33, contacted police on  August 16 last year out of concern for his wellbeing.

McAllister was spotted leaning on a fence in the playpark at Moss-Side Brae, Nairn in broad daylight while children played nearby, and was thought to be intoxicated.

Fiscal depute Naomi Duffy-Welsh told the court that officers approached McAllister and were concerned regarding his physical state.

Jilted boyfriend threatened ex

A jilted boyfriend threatened to burn down his ex’s home after she dumped him because of his “controlling behaviour”.

Kieran Monro’s threatened to set fire to his ex-girlfriend’s house after she split up with him and told him she’d leave his belongings outside to collect.

In the week that followed the demise of their two-year relationship, he visited her Aberdeen home twice uninvited and tried to get inside.

Just hours after the relationship ended Monro visited her home in Craigendarroch  Avenue on October 19 and chased her through the house.

Police dog ends armed stand-off

A man who ran towards a gun-wielding cop while brandishing a screwdriver was brought to the ground by a police dog.

The police dog’s actions brought a tense stand-off, involving John Easson, to an end after nearly two hours.

The 31-year-old had earlier armed himself with a knife and refused to come out of his mum’s flat on Aberdeen’s Ferrier Crescent.

During the July 11 incident – which came just four days after he’d been released from a spell in prison – Easson used the knife to self-harm, threw a vodka bottle at a police officer and tossed a hair spray flamethrower out of a window.

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