A tourist who caused a fracas at a Perth Travelodge has been ordered to carry out unpaid work.
Glaswegian Paul Thomson, 37, was arrested on August 20 during his one-night stay at the hotel chain’s Broxden Avenue branch with another person in August after a warning about noise levels during an argument.
Fiscal depute Sarah Wilkinson told Perth Sheriff Court: “Officers arrived and the accused was informed he was no longer welcome to stay at the hotel.
“He was given a full refund. He refused to vacate his hotel room.”
He then swore at police.
Solicitor Billy Somerville, defending, said: “As soon as he sobered up, he accepted that he should not have behaved in this way.”
Sheriff Gillian Wade told Thomson: “These are serious matters including a significant offence involving the public, police and employees at the hotel.”
Thomson, of Ibrox Street, admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by acting aggressively towards members of staff and police officers, shouting, swearing and making a racial remark, as well as breaching a court bail order.
He was placed on supervision for a year and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work as a direct alternative to custody.
Attempted to kill four people
A stolen car driver was jailed for nine years for trying to murder four men at a Perthshire garage forecourt after learning cash payments for fuel were not accepted. Charlie Tunstall, 25, repeatedly reversed the VW Golf GTI at mechanics and struck one with the vehicle at the garage in Birnam.
Detention warning
A teenager who shattered a young rival’s jaw during a “sickening” assault in Dundee has been given a last chance to avoid being locked up.
Lennon Bruce pummelled the 15-year-old as he lay on the ground, before delivering a final devastating blow to his head as he tried to get back on his feet.
Bruce, of Earn Crescent, returned to Perth Sheriff Court and admitted breaching his community payback order by only completing a portion of the workload.
Sheriff William Wood told him: “You are going to end up in detention unless you start taking action.”
The court heard a background report suggested the teenager had “buried his head in the sand.”
The sheriff said: “I know you were embarrassed by your story appearing in the papers.
“But it was reported and will continue to be reported because of the seriousness of this offence.”
Sheriff Wood told Bruce: “The best thing to do is to reset this and impose the same sentence as before.”
He added: “It is only your age that has saved you from going into custody.”
The case will be reviewed on November 21.
Bruce was just 15 when he attacked his victim in Dundee’s Spey Drive on November 1, 2018.
A passing motorist told police she thought Bruce was going to kill the terrified teen and called out: “You’ll get lifted for that.”
Care home abuse
A senior care home worker assaulted a 95-year-old dementia patient, leaving her covered in bruises and told her: “Stop being a brat.” Davina Bissett , 53, said she was trying to teach the woman a lesson as she twice pulled at her wrists and pinned her to a bed at Moncreiffe Care Home in Bridge of Earn.
Nightmare neighbour
A nightmare neighbour who tormented a pensioner and care home staff has been ordered to carry out unpaid work.
Andrew McKiddie, 46, from Alyth, hurled stones at a woman’s window and tipped a wheelie bin into her garden.
McKiddie was found guilty of five charges of threatening or abusive behaviour following a trial at Perth Sheriff Court earlier this year.
Staff from Hillcrest Futures Care Home told the court they had been subjected to foul-mouthed tirades from McKiddie on several occasions.
A long-suffering neighbour said she had installed CCTV cameras because of previous incidents.
McKiddie returned to the dock for sentencing and was placed on supervision for a year and ordered to carry out 125 hours of unpaid work.
Ear hack
A woman cut off part of her own ear with a kitchen knife after being savagely attacked by a Fife mum-of-four, a court has heard. Attacker Samantha Ellis repeatedly punched and kicked Molly Stevenson and struck her head on concrete “many times” during the shocking incident at Glenrothes Bus Station on Hogmanay. Her victim was left with part of her ear hanging off.
Learner lunacy
A learner driver who tried to escape from police in Fife has been fined.
Arran Murphy could have been jailed after a court heard his rural home lacks an electrical supply necessary for the fitting on a electronic monitoring tag and he cannot get public transport to unpaid work.
Murphy was also banned from the roads for a year and must resit his driving test to get his licence back.
Dunfermline Sheriff Court had previously heard police had followed Murphy’s Honda Civic into a car park in Lumphinnans and used their vehicle to block the entrance to prevent him leaving.
The 19-year-old mounted the footpath to escape and when officers finally caught up with him again in Cowdenbeath, he tried to escape on foot.
He said his actions on April 25 2021 were beacuse he did not have a driving licence.
Court papers say his address is in Lothian Terrace in Kirkcaldy but at the hearing he said he was residing at Main Street, Blairingone.
Sheriff William Gilchrist fined him £300.
