A police sergeant has been acquitted of driving carelessly and causing a crash with another car near Dunfermline, which left a woman in hospital.
Colin Morrison had been accused of failing to give way at the junction of the B916 Aberdour Road and the B981 road to Cowdenbeath, leading to a collision between the marked police car he was driving and a Seat, on August 21 2020.
Dunfermline Justice of the Peace Court heard that Christine Croft, who was a passenger in the other other vehicle involved being driven by her husband Peter at the time, was taken to Kirkcaldy’s Victoria Hospital following the crash.
Morrison, 52, appeared in the dock to face the careless driving allegation but was found not guilty following a trial by Justice Thomas Dodds.
Court papers listed Mr Morrison’s address as Police Headquarters, Fettes Avenue, Edinburgh.
Pictures from the scene of the crash at the time showed the front of the police car and the nearside of the Seat car were both badly damaged.
Teacher ‘groomed’ pupils
A Fife teacher who was told by a sheriff he had “groomed” two 17-year-old pupils was placed on supervision and the Sex Offenders Register. English teacher Lewis Knott from Glenrothes committed the offences at a school in the Kingdom and has since left the profession.
Neighbour dispute
A Dunfermline man found himself in court after his next door neighbour overheard him telling a delivery driver he “should kill him.”
Steven Rae later breached a bail condition to not communicate with his neighbour, Ian Stewart, by telling him he would get the council involved about his plans to change a garden fence between the two properties in the town’s Oak Grove.
Senior procurator fiscal depute Azrah Yousaf told Dunfermline Sheriff Court Mr Stewart had spoken to the driver, who went on to to make a delivery to Rae on September 24 2020.
The depute fiscal said: “Mr Rae said to the delivery driver, ‘just f***ing ignore him’ and ‘I should kill him’.
“Mr Stewart had heard that and as a result, he contacted police.”
Rae admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.
He also pled guilty to a charge of failing to comply with a bail condition not to communicate with Mr Stewart, on September 9 last year.
The depute fiscal said at this time, Mr Stewart was outside measuring up a fence when Rae came out and said it should not be changed and he was going to get the council involved.
Police were contacted again and Rae told them Mr Stewart was “making a sign to me” so he had challenged him over the fence.
Defence lawyer Peter Robertson said there will never be a good relationship between his client and Mr Stewart.
Sheriff William Gilchrist fined Rae £225 for the threatening and abusive behaviour and deferred sentence until October 5 for Rae to be of good behaviour for the bail breach.
‘Wanted to get caught’
Carnoustie paedophile Gregor Mackay, who claimed he wanted to get caught by police when they raided his home was given supervision at Dundee Sheriff Court. He admitted breaching an order not to get an internet-compatible device after previous offending.
Banned from home
A Crieff man has been told to stay in Glasgow until he is sentenced for assaulting his partner.
John Dent-Jones appeared from custody at Perth Sheriff Court to admit assaulting the woman the day before.
On April 5, the 61-year-old assaulted her at his home in Highland Road, Crieff by seizing her by the head and then pushing her.
Sheriff David Hall deferred sentencing until May 11 and ordered a social work report and restriction of liberty order assessment.
Dent-Jones must not enter his home or approach the woman until then, and has been gave a bail address in Glasgow’s Scotstounhill area.
Former MSP at embezzlement trial
The embezzlement trial of former MP Natalie McGarry, from Fife, heard evidence from ex-health secretary Jeane Freeman. McGarry denies taking more than £30,000 from two independence-supporting groups, including money destined for Pert and Kinross food bank.
Drug test refusal
A Kirkcaldy man refused to undergo testing to check whether he was under the influence of drugs.
Rosheen Gordji was stopped at the car park at Dysart Harbour on October 16 last year.
Officers believed he may have taken an illicit substance and asked him to provide a sample of saliva.
However Gordji, of Kirkcaldy’s Almond Place, refused to comply.
The 40-year-old will be sentenced at a later date.
The full caseload of the Dundee Crime and Courts Team can be found here.
