A woman has admitted she used a bank card and PIN to steal almost £4,000 from ATMs across the Dundee area.
Lisa Whannel appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court to admit stealing funds from cash machines in three convenience stores.
The 37-year-old, from Glencarse, pled guilty to targeting machines at Spar shops on Orleans Place and Glamis Road, as well as at the Scotmid on Invergowrie’s Main Street.
She used a bank card to illegally withdraw £3,800 in total between October 2018 and January 2019.
Sheriff Alison Michie ordered reports to be completed ahead of a sentencing hearing fixed for August 16.
A fine mess
Lorry driver Fraser Munro was fined after he got lost in Perth and ploughed into a railway bridge. Munro was driving a Tesco lorry from Livingston to Shetland on December 12 2020 when he hit the bridge and ended up trapped in the stricken lorry.
Holiday chancer
Dominik Butowicz broke into a holidaying man’s home in Beech Avenue, Thornton, Fife and was jailed for 11 months at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.
Fiscal depute Amy Robertson explained resident Sebastian Bujas had travelled to Poland on holiday on November 5, leaving the house empty and locked.
Neighbours heard Butowicz and another two men banging at the property and breaking glass five days later.
Police saw the 27-year-old climbing over a fence and found him hiding behind a bin in the front garden.
Butowicz, of Hillside Grove in Bo’ness, admitted breaking into the property with intent to steal.
His solicitor Eilidh Grant said her client was not aware of what the group were planning when they arrived at the property but went along with it.
“At the time of this offence, he was drinking and taking drugs daily.
“He discusses getting involved with bad peers.
“He didn’t care about himself at the time of this offence.”
Sheriff Alastair Brown said he was surprised the matter was prosecuted on a summary complaint, where the maximum prison sentence available is one year.
He said: “When somebody’s home is broken into, it creates long lasting feelings of insecurity and violation.
“The fact that you were struggling with substance abuse is no excuse.
“The fact that other people were involved is not an excuse.”
Nipple-rubbing sex fiend
An Angus man has been convicted of terrorising two women who worked in an Angus bookmakers. Gavin Ross stared into the Coral bookies in Forfar and played with his nipples in the latest bizarre display by the serial sex offender
Milnathort meltdown
A Milnathort woman who caused a ruckus in her ex-partner’s garden has been placed on supervision.
Rhona Lamont, who lives next door to her former boyfriend, banged on his door, swore and threw a lamp at his window.
The 40-year-old, of Whyte Place, appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner on June 4.
Sheriff Andrew Berry placed Lamont on supervision for a year.
She was told to engage with the One-Stop Women’s Learning Service (OWLS).
The sheriff was told Mr Muir did not want a non-harassment order.
Nightclub spiking claim
Fife hairdresser Liam Baxter said he believes he was spiked on the night he assaulted two bouncers at Dunfermline nightclub Lourenzos and threatened to kill police and rape their children. He was sentenced at the city’s sheriff court.
A Fife woman who verbally abused nurses and spat in a security guard’s face after being taken to A&E for treatment following a drugs overdose, has been admonished.
Claire Tidman, of Kirkcaldy’s Hendry Crescent, was taken to Victoria Hospital after taking too much paracetamol and gabapentin.
She had also drunk a bottle of vodka.
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard Tidman was aggressive to the ambulance crew when she arrived at the hospital in October 2020.
When three nurses, then two security guards, stepped in, she started shouting and making abusive comments towards them.
In fear of their own safety and that of other patients, the security guards restrained Tidman.
Procurator fiscal depute Jamie Hilland said Tidman then spat at one of the guards and saliva landed on his nose, mouth and eyes.
Tidman made threats toward hospital staff that when she got out she was going to “come and see them and their families.”
The 36-year-old pled guilty at an earlier hearing to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner and assaulting a hospital security officer by spitting in his face.
Sheriff Ian Anderson said despite the seriousness of the offence she had addressed her issues and admonished her.
The full caseload of the Dundee Crime and Courts Team can be found here.
