An Angus creep who was convicted of sending sexual messages to decoys operated by paedophile hunters must complete unpaid work.
John Kelly, 26, of St James Road, Forfar, was ordered to complete 225 hours of unpaid work and placed under supervision at Forfar Sheriff Court.
Between August 27 and November 14 2019, he repeatedly sent sexualised messages to Kathryn Monk, who was pretending to be a 14-year-old girl named Scarlett.
Between June 30 and October 7 2021, he repeatedly sent sexualised messages to the same adult, who was again pretending to be a 14-year-old girl, this time named Cassie.
‘Noose rapist’ jailed
John Todd, 34, from Perth has been jailed for raping women in his home city, Fife and Angus. The brute tied a noose around one victim’s neck and had sex with her after she had passed out.
Drink-drove from partner
Perth man Iain Cotterell, 46, who was caught drink-driving after his partner sent him packing has been banned from the road.
He was more than five times the limit when he was stopped by police outside his home in Pine Way after a tip-off.
Cotterell was slurring his words, reeked of alcohol and had “bloodshot” eyes.
At Perth Sheriff Court, he admitted driving with 114 mics/100ml breath of alcohol in his system on June 6, last year.
Solicitor Pauline Cullerton said her client had been out drinking with his partner in Blairgowrie.
“He says his partner turned violent towards him,” she said.
“He was told to pack his bags and leave and that is what he did.
“He felt that he had no other option.”
Sheriff Euan Duthie banned Cotterell from driving for a year and fined him £600.
Chainsaw fail
Dundee man Robert Cartmill, 44, admitted causing fear or alarm by falling flat on his face in Dundee city centre while he was carrying a chainsaw. He was seen repeatedly trying to start the petrol-driven power tool until police stepped in.
Bit officer
Jason Maxwell, 40, bit a Fife police officer on his leg and has been jailed for six months at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
He also admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting, swearing, gesturing aggressively and making threats of violence towards officers on April 27 this year.
Procurator fiscal depute Sarah Smith told the court several police units went to an address in Lochgelly’s North Street following a call from a neighbour about a disturbance.
Maxwell and his partner were inside and Maxwell had been on the phone to a police call handler but he became aggressive and made threats.
He was arrested and en route to Kirkcaldy police station began kicking and banging the van.
He bit an officers to the right thigh through his trousers as he was being taken to a cell.
Defence lawyer Zander Flett said Maxwell had consumed alcohol that evening having been in a poor mental state after being told about the recurrence of a family member’s illness.
The solicitor said there had been an argument between Maxwell and his partner and his client felt officers were focusing their attention on him.
Sheriff Charles Macnair jailed him for six months.
Firefighter sentenced
A sheriff said he sees no reason for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to sack firefighter Christopher Vesey after a domestic abuse conviction. The service said the Tayport 31-year-old, who was given unpaid work, is still under investigation.
Crashed, then waited for police
A drink-driver who ploughed into a fence in Dundee then waited for police to attend has been disqualified.
Andrew Barrett, of Gardner Street, was fined £420 and banned for a year at Dundee Sheriff Court after admitting driving dangerously and while over the limit on April 19 this year.
The 55-year-old travelled from Strathmore Avenue to Harlow Place with 100 mics of alcohol in his system, more than four times the limit of 22 mics.
He failed to give way, crossed the carriageway, mounted a kerb at speed, drove at speed on the wrong side of the road and lost control of his vehicle, crashing into a fence.
Solicitor John Boyle explained the first offender waited at the scene for police.
Catalytic converter charges
18-year-old Logan Turner from Crossgates has appeared in court accused of stealing catalytic converters from locations in Fife. He will stand trial later in the year accused of 15 such crimes.
Compensation
A man who was left permanently disfigured after being assaulted in a flat in Kirriemuir will be compensated by his attacker.
Robert Sangster appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court to admit assaulting Jamie Sherry at a flat in Bank Street on November 11 2018.
Sangster, now of MacBeth Road in Stewarton in East Ayrshire, admitted repeatedly punching Mr Sherry to his head, leaving him injured and permanently disfigured.
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis fined the 34-year-old £1,500 and ordered him to pay a further £1,000 in compensation.
The sheriff also fined Sangster a further £500 after he also admitted assaulting Rhiannon Craig at a property in South Street, Kirriemuir, on March 3 2019.
Sangster admitted repeatedly punching her on the head and attempting to punch her head.
The full caseload of the Dundee Crime and Courts Team can be found here.
