An absolutely bumper Thursday court round-up.
Deportation for weapons offences
A Polish serial offender faces being deported from the UK after being caught armed with a crossbow and a machete in separate incidents.
A sheriff recommended Marcin Grabowski be sent back to his homeland after he admitted two charges at Dundee Sheriff Court.
Grabowski, 46, admitted having a machete in Hume Street, Montrose, on September 7, 2019, and a crossbow in the Angus town’s Ferry Street on May 22, this year.
Fiscal depute Stewart Duncan told the court he has racked up 12 convictions since arriving in Scotland in 2013, with “a propensity for offences involving weapons”.
Mr Duncan said in the first of the latest incidents Grabowski pulled a machete from the waistband of his trousers outside the Picture House bar.
He was heard saying, “I have a lot of enemies”, before returning the weapon to the back of his trousers and walking off.
In the second incident, witnesses in the street saw him holding a crossbow by his side and he said: “This is for the next person who shouts through my window.”
The Crown made a motion to expel Grabowski from the UK, but his solicitor Sarah Russo said he wanted to stay in Scotland and continue finding work.
However, Sheriff Alastair Carmichael jailed Grabowski for 21 months and granted the Crown motion to recommend he be deported at the end of his sentence.
He said: “I have decided you pose a risk to the public and it would be contrary to the public interest for you to stay in the UK.”
Wedding singer
Drink-driving wedding singer Johnathon Collins was jailed for two years after causing a crash with a minibus in Fife. It left four people injured, one of them with a broken back.
Child abuse
William Miller, 57, admitted attacking and injuring children during more than a decade of violence and neglect.
He hit and kicked the children and dragged them to drug dealers’ homes and stole their stuff to sell for drug money.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told he held a boy’s face down in a basin of water for 20 seconds and struck a girl on the buttocks with a belt.
Fiscal depute Larissa Milligan said other incidents included Miller kicking the boy and dragging the girl by the hair.
Miller, of Hebrides Drive, Dundee, admitted wilfully ill-treating and neglecting two young children in Arbroath and Dundee between August 2006 and April 2018.
He admitted assaulting the children by taking them to the homes of drug dealers while he was under the influence.
Miller admitted taking drugs and leaving the children to fend for themselves, as well as taking money from them and selling their items to buy drugs.
He admitted further charges of assaulting the children.
Sheriff Paul Brown deferred sentence until next month.
Footballer jailed
Footballer Grant Adam has been jailed for embezzling £12,000 from his elderly grandfather while acting with power of attorney. The former Scotland under-21 goalkeeper, who counts Dundee, Forfar and Cowdenbeath among his clubs, took the cash from the 78-year-old’s Post Office account over the course of three months.
Dundee jeweller robbery
A trio of armed raiders, disguised in burkas, who robbed Walker the Luxury Jeweller in Union Street, Dundee in September, 2019, have pled guilty.
Dean King, 28, Anthony Wheeldon, 40, and Connor Willis, 24 were remanded ahead of sentencing.
Edinburgh High Court heard King kept the security door of the shop open by pretending to tie his shoelace and his accomplices rushed into the shop.
A customer tried to fight them off but was bludgeoned with a mallet.
They eventually fled with just two Rolex watches after a security device flooded the shop with fog.
Drug petition
A man has appeared in court accused of dealing cocaine from his home.
Aaron Bradford was allegedly concerned in the supply of the Class A drug on Strachan Avenue, Dundee.
The 33-year-old made no plea in connection with the allegation when he appeared from custody at Dundee Sheriff Court.
He is accused of being concerned in the supply of cocaine between March 31 and June 15, 2020.
A separate charge alleges Bradford was found in possession of cannabis, a Class B drug.
Sheriff Lorna Drummond QC continued the case on petition for further examination and released Bradford on bail.
In case you missed it…
Wednesday round-up — Prison van sex act and A&E rampage
Tuesday round-up — Covid cough and Dr Noodles
Monday round-up — Sword waver and puddle skid
Friday round-up — Troll must try harder and sheep worrying warrant