A Montrose man has been banned from travelling on the East Coast main line.
George Heron is not allowed to ride the train between Aberdeen and Dundee after admitting stealing a suitcase while in a carriage in May this year.
Heron, 38, committed the offence while on a bail order for another matter.
Appearing from custody, he admitted stealing the suitcase and its contents while on a train travelling from Broughty Ferry station and Montrose station on May 8.
Defence solicitor Paul Ralph, in mitigation, said his client was due to attend a drug rehabilitation programme on the west coast from next week.
“He is currently subject to a community payback order.
“He was doing quite well on it, he was due to go to rehab next week.”
Sheriff Gregor Murray deferred sentence for criminal and social work reports and a restriction of liberty order assessment.
He was bailed on standard conditions, with a special condition that he is not to use the railway between Aberdeen and Dundee in the interim.
Heron, of North Street, Montrose, will return to Forfar Sheriff Court on July 21 for sentencing.
Hammer attack horror
A Fife mother has told how her family is trying to rebuild their lives after a horrific hammer attack left her 48-year-old son in a care home.
Barry Madley was convicted this week of attempting to murder Steven Davidson by hitting him repeatedly with a hammer on the head.
Steven’s mother Margaret said she holds out hope she can eventually move her son back home and even get him to Canada, where he has a 12-year-old son.
She also told how she thinks Steven’s attacker was within his flat when she visited on the night of the attack.
Read the full story here.
City centre attack
Murthly man Lee Simpson admitted punching a man to the ground in Perth city centre after a night out.
David Legge had to be taken to hospital for x-rays after being attacked on July 26 2020.
Simpson appeared at Perth Sheriff Court to admit assault.
Fiscal depute David Currie explained at 12.50am, Mr Legge and a friend bumped into Simpson on the corner of Mill Street and South Methven Street.
Simpson began making “provocative and rude” comments towards Mr Legge’s friend and was challenged to stop.
“The accused immediately became aggressive.
“He thereafter began to punch the complainer to the head, causing him to fall to the ground.”
Police were contacted and Mr Legge was taken to hospital by paramedics.
X-rays showed no breaks or fractures but he did sustain bruising to his eye.
19-year-old Simpson, of Broompark Crescent, will be sentenced on July 21.
Self-inflicted neck stab claims
A Fife man accused of attempting to murder his partner in Dunfermline by stabbing her in the neck has claimed she inflicted the near-fatal wound herself. Andrew Gibson‘s trial continues at the High Court in Livingston.
Police threats
A 17-year-old Glenrothes boy has admitted making threats of violence towards police officers while carrying a knife.
The teenager, who is too young for his name to revealed, appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court to plead guilty to a charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at a property in Crossgates in October last year.
The charge states he also made racially offensive remarks and offensive comments of a religious nature during the incident.
He also threw drinking glasses and other items at a door.
Court papers state as well as making threats of violence towards police while in possession of a knife, he harmed himself with a knife.
Sheriff Charles Macnair adjourned sentencing to July 20 for the production of background reports.
Pervert volunteered
Disgraced Tayside entrepreneur David Rankine, who was caught with obscene child abuse images, was a regular first aid volunteer at a top Dundee school, it has emerged. Rankine, who was convicted this week, was a volunteer with St Andrew’s First Aid.
Six times the limit
An almost six-times over the limit drink driver who pranged his car in Perth has been placed under supervision.
Gary MacDougall, 41, previously admitted driving on Florence Place with 126 mics of alcohol in his system, well over the limit of 22.
MacDougall, of Scott Street, drew neighbours’ attention when he crashed his Volkswagen Golf at 11.50pm on May 7.
One onlooker saw him stagger out of the car, before getting back in and driving off.
He was traced by police just over two hours later.
MacDougall pled guilty to drink-driving at Perth Sheriff Court.
Solicitor Paul Ralph explained his client, a first offender, had already checked himself in for counselling.
Sheriff Rhona Wark disqualified MacDougall for a year and instructed him to resit his test before taking to the road.
She also placed him under supervision for a year.
Former pastor jailed
A former pastor from Fife has been jailed and made subject to registration indefinitely for molesting two young children. Remorseless Stephen Blues, 50, previously worked in the care sector with children and vulnerable homeless people.
The full caseload of the Dundee Crime and Courts Team can be found here.
