A Fife lorry driver has been given the maximum amount of unpaid work available after his 15-year-old girlfriend phoned police, exposing their relationship.
Last month, Joseph Easson admitted having a sexual relationship with the girl.
She had been hiding in the 31-year-old’s house and phoned police to break up an argument between him and his ex-partner.
She initially lied about her age but later admitted she was only 15.
Despite being ordered by a court to keep away from her, Easson was later spotted with her again.
At Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court. Sheriff Alison McKay was sent emails by family members explaining how important Easson’s liberty was to the care of his children.
The court heard Easson had previous convictions for domestic assaults, fraud and urinating in an underpass, but nothing analogous.
His solicitor David Bell said Easson began the illicit relationship when the mother of his children left him for a woman.
Mr Bell said is client was not initially aware of her age.
Sheriff McKay placed him under supervision and on the Sex Offenders Register for two years, and ordered him to complete 300 hours of unpaid work.
Identified as being of a low risk of reoffending by social workers, Easson must also live in accommodation and only work in workplaces which are approved.
Nose bite victim-turned-aggressor
Robert Garrick from Perth, who had part of his nose bitten off during a brutal city centre brawl was jailed for assaulting the nurse who tried to treat him. The court heard he reacted violently after being taken to Perth Royal Infirmary.
Dundee robbery
A duo who robbed a vulnerable Dundee woman in her own home have been jailed.
John Phinn and Jennifer Johnston were convicted by a jury of seizing the woman by the body and pinning her to a couch and taking a bank card, bank statements and a sum of money at an address in Polepark Road on April 24 last year.
Johnston was also found guilty of turning up at the victim’s home about three weeks later and asking her to “drop the charges” in an attempt to pervert the course of justice.
Johnston, 37, also breached a bail condition to not approach or contact the woman.
Phinn, 46, was jailed for three years.
Johnston was jailed for a total of 30 months.
This included 18 months for the robbery and a further 12 for the justice perversion attempt.
Court papers listed Phinn as a prisoner in HMP Perth and Johnston as a prisoner in the prison of Polmont Brightons.
Sleepy drug-driver
Drew McCluskey was given a dressing down in Dundee Sheriff Court for “yawning ostentatiously” while waiting for his case to call. He was then remanded after pleading guilty to driving while 16 times above the drug-drive limit.
Crown cash grab
A jailed Fife heroin dealer has had a four figure sum of cash seized from him by the Crown.
John Taylor was imprisoned in February after admitting dealing heroin and street Valium from his flat in Kirkcaldy’s St Kilda Crescent.
His illicit business was uncovered by scatter flat staff who attended to follow up on noise complaints.
The 25-year-old was jailed for 33 months after admitting being concerned in a five- figure drug enterprise and waving planks of wood.
During a Proceeds of Crime hearing, the Crown Office seized £1,250 in cash which was recovered from Taylor’s flat.
Two beers
Dunfermline delivery driver Tomasz Kogut has been banned from the roads after having two beers to celebrate moving into his new home. He was caught drink-driving by police when he pranged his car moving it to a different parking spot.
Tried door handles
A Dundee man accused of trying door handles around the city centre and barging his way into a vaccination centre has been remanded.
Connor Mackintosh appeared in private at Dundee Sheriff Court and made no plea.
The 25-year-old, of Court Street North, faces allegations that on April 11, he tried door handles at Boots McDonalds, Wetherspoons and The IT Store.
He is also accused of, the following day, using bodily force to enter the NHS Covid-19 Vaccination Centre on Dundee’s High Street.
Sheriff John Rafferty refused bail.
The full caseload of the Dundee Crime and Courts Team can be found here.
