The now-traditional Thursday bumper round-up.
Travel ban rammy
A woman who claimed to have dislocated her knee when a bus made an emergency stop in the snow on a Perthshire motorway was travelling illegally.
Amanda Miller refused to leave an ambulance which subsequently took her to Perth Royal Infirmary and shouted and swore at the A&E department.
At 4.55pm on February 8, Miller was a passenger on a bus heading from Aberdeen to Edinburgh.
The driver was forced into an emergency stop due to the snowy conditions and Miller, of London Road in Edinburgh, claimed to have dislocated her knee.
An ambulance from Edinburgh collected her and took her to PRI.
However, the 31-year-old refused to leave the vehicle to receive treatment and became hostile.
Fiscal depute Joanne Ritchie said she became aggressive towards staff.
Miller refused to answer medical questions and only left the ambulance after police were called.
In the A&E waiting area, she repeatedly shouted and swore in front of other patients.
When asked why she was travelling back from Aberdeen during a period of Covid travel restrictions, she told police she had been at a meeting but had no evidence.
She admitted breaching non-essential travel rules and acting in a manner “likely to cause fear or alarm”.
Sheriff Euan Duthie placed her under supervision for a year.
Testicles
Suzanne Armit grabbed a police officer’s testicles and squeezed and pulled them as he tried to arrest her for brandishing a metal pole in a late-night rammy in Rosyth.
Her partner Andrew Irvine then became involved as well. They appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
Cannabis cultivator
A Blairgowrie cannabis grower has been fined after police uncovered his cultivation.
Ross Donald admitted producing and supplying the Class B drug from his home in Dunkeld Place last July.
Police officers found in the property’s living room, kitchen and one of the bedrooms, cannabis, cash, scales, grinders, LED lamps, a dehumidifier, a power transformer and a fan.
More fans and plant food were found in the garden shed.
The 298g of cannabis was valued at around £2,980.
Donald admitted he had been growing the drug and that some of the money was the proceeds of deals.
Defence solicitor Mike Tavendale said the 29-year-old, who suffers from physical and mental health problems, has cut back on his own drug use and has not used cannabis in three months.
“The onset of lockdown was particularly difficult for him,” he said.
“His use of cannabis increased in that period.”
Sheriff Euan Duthie fined Donald £700 and granted the confiscation of £710 seized from the property.
Foster carer trial
A jury is expected to reach a verdict in the case of Fife foster carer Rachel Lessels on Friday. The 72-year-old is on trial accused of attacking and mistreating three children at an address in Letham, Fife, between May 2006 and July 2009. Claims include that she rubbed a soiled nappy in one child’s face and made another eat vomit.
IRA rant
John Clarke, of Ballindean Place, Dundee, pled guilty to threatening and abusive behaviour that included sectarian rants and attacking a police officer on March 31, 2021.
Clarke, 62, called police to attend an alleged theft in the city.
They took Clarke to a nearby police station and he was instructed to remove jewellery.
Clarke began to lash out and struggle with police, bit an officer on the leg and shouted,
“Up the Ra”, “IRA forever mate”, “F**k the Queen” and “God Bless the Pope”.
Fiscal depute Rachel Hill told Dundee Sheriff Court the bitten officer sustained “bruising through cloth”.
Clarke’s defending solicitor explained his client became upset when asked to remove jewellery as the piece in question “belonged to a daughter”.
Sheriff Pino Di Emidio deferred sentencing until November 9 for reports.
Forced into drugs trade
Dundee man Jamie Gaffney was convicted of cocaine dealing. He claimed he had been forced into the drugs trade when he fell into debt to larger players.
Nose surgery
A man who had to get an operation to straighten his nose after being punched in Forfar has been awarded £1,500 compensation.
Anthony McGuinness has been ordered to pay after admitting leaving Barry McKean “severely injured”.
McGuinness, of Arran Crescent in Kirkcaldy, unleashed a relentless attack on Mr McKean on Carseview Road on September 17, 2019.
The 40-year-old repeatedly punched Mr McKean on the head and body.
The attack, coupled with a pre-existing issue, forced Mr McKean to require surgery to realign his nose.
He also suffered swelling to his right eye and a superficial cut which had to be glued shut.
Sheriff Derek Reekie said: “It was a nasty assault, to say the least.”
As a direct alternative to jail time, the sheriff issued a Restriction of Liberty Order at Forfar Sheriff Court.
McGuinness will be prohibited from leaving his home from 7pm to 7am each night for the next six months.
In case you missed it…
Wednesday round-up — County lines and TV critic
Tuesday round-up — Valium and cannabis
Monday round-up — Greenkeeper and pervert priest
Friday round-up — Dog raid and terror trial