A Perth man brutally assaulted his ex-girlfriend after slashing her purse with a knife.
Kieran Young appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted placing his former partner in a state of fear and alarm during a violent disturbance at a property in Lewis Place.
The 26-year-old pled guilty to a charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner on December 4 last year.
He shouted and swore at his ex, brandished a kitchen knife, used it to cut a purse and repeatedly kicked an oven door, causing damage.
Young further admitted assaulting the woman, attempting to seize her mobile phone from her hand and struggled violently with her.
He caused her to fall to the floor, where he kicked her on the body to her injury.
Sheriff Donald Ferguson deferred sentenced until August 10 for background reports.
Death plunge sentence
Company director Kevin Bowie has been sentenced to a community payback order and supervision for health and safety failings which led to an employee being thrown to his death in Perthshire. Decorator Michael McArthur had been working for him on a cherry picker in Doune when it was clipped by a tour bus and he fell 26 feet to his death on the street below.
‘Not a daftie’ caught driving while banned
Disqualified driver Paul Crossland admitted driving his girlfriend’s car on the A94 in Perthshire, despite being banned.
The 29-year-old, who was last month jailed for an attempted armed robbery in Perth, pled guilty at Perth Sheriff Court.
Fiscal depute Stuart Hamilton said police spotted Crossland’s car near Whinniemuir Farm just after 11pm on December 18 last year “being driven at speed and without rear lights.”
The court heard Crossland, of Firbank Road, Perth, was banned from driving for two years in May 2013 and did not sit the extended test to win back his licence.
Solicitor Linda Clark, defending, said he client received a call for help from a friend and was going to walk but “saw his partner’s car keys and foolishly took them and drove off.”
The court heard the 29-year-old is serving a 20-month sentence for an attempted armed robbery in Perth’s Newhouse Road last November.
He entered a couple’s bedroom, swinging a baseball bat and said: “I’m not one of these dafties from Perth, I’m from Fife.”
Sheriff Donald Ferguson imposed a concurrent prison sentence of three months and banned Crossland from driving for a year-and-a-half.
Perth Prison death probe
The death of gangster Paul Hogwood, 60, in Perth Prison last year is to be probed by a sheriff. He was part of a seven-man group which planned a raid on luxury jeweller Mappin & Webb at St Andrews Old Course.
Unfit carpet fitter
A Fife carpet fitter drove his van through a road block at a crash scene hours after taking Valium.
Anton Foley of Kirkcaldy’s Haig Avenue pled guilty to driving while unfit to drive through drink or drugs on the A909 Cowdenbeath to Kelty road, near Netherton Farm, on September 18 2020.
He also failed to provide a blood sample at Dunfermline police station.
Procurator fiscal depute Jill Currie told Dunfermline Sheriff Court the road had been closed in both directions as police carried out a crash investigation but Foley drove through the closure and stopped before the collision site.
Police carried out negative roadside tests for drink and drugs but noticed during the wait for results he was “impaired”.
Ms Currie said the forensic medical examiner determined his condition may have been due to drugs.
Defence lawyer Calum Harris said his client had been fitting a carpet at a friend’s house that morning and accepted he had been taking Valium in the early hours and night before.
“He was well enough to do work but accepts under the circumstances he should not have been driving and holds his hands up to that.”
Sheriff David Hall fined Foley £600 and banned him from driving for three years.
The Courier previously reported that the road was closed for several hours that day following a collision between a car and motorcycle which left two people in hospital.
Night on the tiles
A Glenrothes man struck a suspected would-be thief on the head with a roof tile because he thought he was planning to steal from a neighbour. Thomas Dale, 46, admitted assaulting Michael Harvie under provocation.
Drink-drive shame
Former alcohol support worker Stephanie Brown, 45, from Dundee has been banned from the roads after refusing to provide police with a breath test.
On October 10, Brown was taken to Bell Street police headquarters following a road traffic incident.
Depute fiscal Kate Scarborough told the court Brown told police: “I am so sorry, I should not have done it.
“I am an alcohol support worker. I should know better.”
Solicitor Douglas Thomson, in mitigation, said: “She is extremely embarrassed and very much regrets this behaviour.
“It is out of character for her to drink to excess.
“She is not currently driving.
“She is now in a different line of employment.
“She offers her sincerest apologies.”
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael fined Brown, of Ambleside Terrace, £600 and disqualified her for 12 months.
The full caseload of the Dundee Crime and Courts Team can be found here.
