A Fife man has admitted trying to extort £25,000 from a woman he was having an affair with by threatening to send videos of her having sex to her family.
Yasir Butt was brought from HMP Perth to Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court to plead guilty.
The 37-year-old, formerly of Broad Street, Cowdenbeath and Alexander Road, Glenrothes, tried to place the woman in a state of fear, alarm and apprehension by stating unless she paid, he would disclose details of their affair and the video, on May 9 and 10 2020.
Butt also admitted a string of domestically aggravated offences towards his wife over an 18-month period, including assaults on occasions between 2017 and 2019.
He also admitted domestic abuse at his Glenrothes home Alton Towers theme park by shouting and swearing, making offensive remarks, threatening to make false allegations to police and threatening to take their children to Pakistan and never return.
Butt also admitted breaching bail conditions not to approach her.
Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlane continued his case until August 2.
‘Ham-fisted’ pervert
A Perth pervert’s campaign of harassment against a shop worker was described as a “very ham-fisted attempt at developing a relationship“. Gordon Simpson – who once blamed his weight for viewing child abuse material – spent 40 minutes staring at the frightened woman on one of several occasions of sinister behaviour, Perth Sheriff Court heard.
Valentine’s gift tiff
Kaelan Platt demanded the return of Valentine’s Day gifts during a domestic row.
Platt, 25, Nursery Park, Brechin, had already been in a “huffy” when he returned to his “on, off” partner’s home and began banging on the door on February 14, this year, Forfar Sheriff Court heard.
Platt admitted acting in a threatening and abusive manner, aggravated by the matter being against his partner.
Depute fiscal Elizabeth Hodgson said: “He was demanding his property was returned to him.
“He demanded the gifts and presents he had given her for Valentine’s Day were given back to him.
“The complainer said she would leave them in a bag in the back garden.
“He began to swear at her.”
Defence solicitor Billie Rennie, in mitigation, said: “In fairness to him, one of the witnesses said she saw them both shouting at one another and describes them ‘as bad as each other’.”
Deferring sentence for Platt to be of good behaviour, Sheriff Alison Michie said: “Your partner is not in favour of a non harassment order.
“The court wishes to ensure your partner is safe.
“I am going to defer sentence… I will ask for a good behaviour report.”
Platt, of Nursery Park, Brechin, will return to court on January 26.
War medals and ashes stolen
Dunfermline theft victim Tom Wilson has described his heartache after precious family war memorabilia and his pet dog’s ashes were stolen. Ryan Bouglas, 36, admitted resetting some of the goods but many have never been recovered.
Woman bites child
A Dunfermline woman bit a toddler on the arm in retaliation for the child sinking his teeth into her.
Kimberly Hamilton bit the youngster – who was just two at the time – in front of a witness, who called the police.
A solicitor for the 27-year-old said she accepted her conduct was reckless.
Hamilton, of Russell Avenue, admitted assaulting the child to its injury between June and August 2020.
She was ordered to carry out 75 hours of unpaid work.
Airborne drugs
Drug dealer Jack Boyd has been locked up after warders found illicit substances thrown over the walls of Perth Prison. It could not be proved Boyd threw the drugs but he admitted being involved in their packaging when his DNA was discovered on them.
Prison phones
Three Perth Prison inmates have been caught using unauthorised SIM cards in their state-issued mobile phones.
They were among 17 prisoners or former prisoners charged with possession of communications devices behind bars.
Caithness killer Paul Cannop, 28, who was jailed in 2019 for murdering his friend over a £40 drug debt, was caught with the contraband on May 17.
Jack Bonner, 23, who caused more than £40,000 of damage when he shoved a lit firework through a Lochgelly man’s letterbox, was found with a SIM card on June 21.
Both men pled guilty by letter at Perth Sheriff Court to having an illegal communications device behind bars.
Sheriff Francis Gill deferred sentence until August 24.
Another inmate Michael Hamilton was caught when prison officers searched his cell on May 4.
The 29-year-old was jailed for four months.
Trial dates were set for other accused, who tendered pleas of not guilty.
Cattle killed
A speeding cattle truck driver overturned on a Perthshire road, killing nine cows. James Gray admitted causing the death of livestock he was transporting when he toppled his lorry on the A94 near Coupar Angus.
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