Tuesday court round-up — Fire, fraud and taxi indecency

By Crime and Courts Team

July 6 2021, 7:30pm

The Tuesday court round-up.

Hammer ‘attack’

A Fife man was allegedly beaten with a hammer and robbed of £400 before having his home broken into.

Bicycles, razor blades and a camcorder were allegedly stolen from Steven Castel’s home on Kinloss Park, Cupar on February 9.

Court papers allege Alexander Fyffe, 39, of Balgarvie Crescent, Cupar, and Colin Fyffe, 36, of Alwyn Green, Glenrothes, were responsible for attacking the man in his home.

It is said they seized his throat, pinned him against a wall, struck him on the body with a hammer, punched him on the head and robbed him of £400, keys and a mobile phone.

Alexander Fyffe allegedly smashed a glass coffee table with the hammer.

He is also accused of assaulting Liam McEwan at a different address on Kinloss Park by swinging a hammer at him before trying to rob him.

Between February 9 and 11, Alexander Fyffe allegedly broke into Mr Castel’s home and stole bicycles and other items.

Neither man was present at Dundee Sheriff Court when the case called and it was .
continued until September.

Controlling brute

Read here how domestic abuser Lindsay Smith was convicted of assaulting two girlfriends and his own mother when he appeared at Perth Sheriff Court. The controlling brute also deleted contacts and social media from one of his victim’s phones, claiming: “You don’t need to talk to any other people”.

Lindsay Smith appeared at Perth Sheriff Court

Fire and fraud claim

A further hearing has been fixed for two brothers accused of torching a business before one of them allegedly tried to fraudulently obtain insurance money.

Haroon Bashir, 43, of Errol Road, Invergowrie, and 31-year-old Qamar Bashir, of Dundee’s Marchfield Road, are accused of setting fire to items in a storage area of the building occupied by Faztek Limited, Nobel Road, Dundee, on February 11 2018.

It is alleged the fire destroyed the items, as well as the fabric of the building.

Prosecutors also allege that between February 11 and March 16 2018, Haroon Bashir formed a fraudulent scheme by instructing agents to submit insurance claims held on his behalf by Chohan Management Limited and Faztek Limited.

He allegedly induced Allianz Ltd to pay him money in order to obtain insurance payments by fraud.

At Dundee Sheriff Court, a further first diet was scheduled for September.

Blamed dead son

Perthshire paedophile Ewan MacLeod, who blamed his dead son for his stash of child abuse material, avoided a prison sentence. The 69-year-old IT expert had claimed to police he had no knowledge of downloading and hiding obscene material, some of which was found on a computer in his son’s bedroom. The full story can be read here.

Taxi ‘indecency’

A woman is to stand trial accused of exposing herself to a taxi driver and coercing him to touch her indecently.

Irene Torrie allegedly committed the offences while she was a passenger in his car on May 29 last year.

Torrie is accused of sexually assaulting and coercing the man by communicating indecently with him, exposing herself to him, touching him on the legs, chest and privates.

The 41-year-old allegedly kissed him, stated that she wished to have sex with him and induced him to touch her indecently before sitting on him.

The offences were allegedly committed on Bridgend Street, Balmuir Road, Ambleside Grove and other roads in Dundee.

Torrie is also alleged to have acted in a racially aggravated manner towards two people on Balmuir Road on June 1 by shouting, swearing and making racist remarks.

She allegedly made derogatory remarks towards the same two people on August 1 before making sexual comments to one of them.

Torrie, of Step Row, allegedly breached an undertaking to appear at court by contacting the two people.

At Dundee Sheriff Court, solicitor Scott Norrie tendered a plea of not guilty to all charges on Torrie’s behalf.

A trial was fixed for February.

Eight-hour attack

Neighbours told how they heard “blood curdling” screams as domestic abuser Jamie Taylor launched an eight-hour attack on his partner in Dundee. Here’s the full story.