A Fife man who lunged at a taxi driver on Burntisland High Street after a row about the area’s 20mph zone has been fined.
Terence Donnelly, 51, appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court for sentencing on Tuesday, after his solicitor previously pleaded guilty on his behalf when he was ill with Covid-19.
Donnelly admitted that in the early hours of October 3, 2020, he acted in a threatening manner by lunging at Kevin McDonald while he was working as a taxi driver.
Donnelly, of the town’s West Leven Street, also admitted wrapping a fabric dog lead around his hand before making threats of violence and acting aggressively.
The court heard that Mr McDonald had taken a fare from Kirkcaldy to Burntisland at 3.30am and was heading back when he saw dog walker Donnelly waving.
The cab stopped and the accused approached the driver’s window before lunging.
Donnelly’s solicitor explained he’d initially made a comment about the street being a 20mph zone rather than a 40mph zone and was told to go away “in less savoury language.”
Donnelly also obstructed police who tried to arrest him and attempted to prevent them applying handcuffs.
His solicitor added that it was amongst the first occasions that socialising was allowed and Donnelly had been drinking in a friend’s garden earlier.
Sheriff Alastair Brown fined the sheet metal worker £210.
Creep caught on camera
A man was caught on camera sexually assaulting a woman as she lay passed out in the back of her boyfriend’s car.
The victim’s partner watched in horror as he played back footage from the vehicle’s CCTV system.
He saw topless Cosmin Chesnoiu lean over and kiss his girlfriend, before groping her breast.
The 36-year-old appeared in the dock at Perth Sheriff Court on Monday and admitted a sex attack on the 30-year-old at a house party in Rattray, east Perthshire.
He was placed on the Sex Offenders Register and will be sentenced next month.
Fife door rattler caught
A thief who was caught trying doors and breaking into homes in a Glenrothes street has been jailed.
Lennon McAlpine stole an Xbox games console, alcohol, cash and the keys to a work van from properties in Waverley Drive earlier this year.
The 22-year-old appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court and pled guilty to committing a string of thefts and intended thefts.
He also admitted later assaulting police officers, including repeatedly punching one on the head.
On Tuesday, Sheriff Alastair Brown jailed McAlpine for two years.
Fiscal depute Claire Bremner said that one property owner saw McAlpine on her security camera “trying the handle” of her locked door, shortly after 12.20am on April 3.
Police later that morning also saw him on camera trying another person’s door.
Banned for 10-mile slow speed chase
A diabetic driver told a court his blood-sugar levels dropped before he led police on a 10-mile low-speed chase around the outskirts of Perth.
David Skene insisted he “wasn’t running away” as he crawled around the city ring-road at fluctuating speeds as low as 15mph.
The 34-year-old accelerated away from cops after they pulled him over in an A9 layby.
He repeatedly hit the roadside verge, used the wrong indicator at a roundabout and ran a red light.
Skene, of Stranraer, was finally brought to a halt when a second police car joined the pursuit and helped box him in.
But even then, he refused to leave his vehicle.
Skene was found guilty of dangerous driving on the A9 and A85 in early 2020, following a one day trial at Perth Sheriff Court.
He was banned from the road for a year and fined £550.
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