A Blairgowrie man who was caught with a lock knife in his bum bag has been sentenced to unpaid work.
Goe Wheeler had the blade at Rattray Community Centre, Perth Sheriff Court heard.
It was found when he was searched by police officers.
Wheeler, of Myrtle Place, admitted having a blade in a public place on July 6 2021.
The 29-year-old further admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards his then-partner at his home, two days earlier.
Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said the knife had been used for a recent camping trip and his client forget it was still in his bag.
“He has grown up in difficult circumstances and as a result suffers from PTSD,” said Mr Holmes.
Sheriff Peter Anderson said: “I accept that you recognise your conduct towards your ex-partner was completely out of order.
“A charge of possession of a lock knife looks very serious.
“But I accept that probably in your case, it was a mistake and you didn’t mean to have it with you.”
Wheeler was placed on supervision for nine months and ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work.
The sheriff issued an 18 month non-harassment order.
Dog theft trial
Perthshire dog owner Ally McLaren told how he confronted a stranger outside his home and watched as he lifted his dog and bundled it into a car. Clifford Hodgkins is on trial at Perth Sheriff Court accused of stealing four dogs from two properties in the Blairgowrie area on October 20 2020.
Assortment of drugs
A 45-year-old man has been fined after being caught with an assortment of drugs at his Fife home.
Steven Thomson, of New Road in Kennoway, pled guilty to seven counts of possessing the drugs when he appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.
Etizolam, cannabis, cannabis resin, ecstasy, amphetamine, gabapentin and diazepam were all found at his home on October 1 2020.
Procurator fiscal depute Jill Currie said the estimated total value of the substances was £1,557.
Defence lawyer Kieran Clegg said his client accepts full responsibility for his actions and highlighted Thomson’s mother had died earlier that year and he found himself at a low point.
The solicitor said Thomson is not taking drugs at the moment and does not consider himself to have a particular habit.
Sheriff Ian Anderson fined Thomson £770 in total, £110 for each of the charges admitted.
Throttled partner
Kirriemuir man Robert Reid, 22, put a knife in his girlfriend’s hand, held it against his own throat, and told her “if I’m going to die, you need to die too”, then choked her until she lost consciousness. He will be sentenced later for assault.
Illegal phone
A convicted drug dealer who was caught with an illegal iPhone at HMP Perth will not be sent back to jail.
The contraband device was found by officers during a routine search of Billy Black’s cell in December 2020.
Black, who was originally jailed for his part in a £40k heroin operation, appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted having a communications device while behind bars.
The 43-year-old was previously told the court would “look at alternatives” to a prison sentence.
Sheriff Peter Anderson said custody was not appropriate, and fined Black £300.
Black, of Strathairlie Avenue, Arbroath, was locked up for 40 months in 2014 after police uncovered several bags of heroin at his accomplice Donna Carnegie’s home.
The court heard he was now running his own gardening business.
Revenge porn comparison
A spurned woman sent pictures of two men’s genitals to a love rival and asked her to guess who each belonged to. Lisa Macrae‘s revenge porn offending saw her fined and hit with a non-harassment order.
Courts are closed for the Jubilee so we’ll be back on Monday. Stay safe out there.
The full caseload of the Dundee Crime and Courts Team can be found here.
