Steven Johnston, 21, of Fordell Way, Inverkeithing man was caught with cocaine and ecstasy after being stopped in his Ford Fiesta by police.
He pled guilty to being concerned in the supply of the class A drugs in Kirkcaldy’s Rosemount Avenue on June 5 2021.
The court heard 9g of cocaine and 22 ecstasy tablets were found in plastic bags, with £140 in cash found in the driver’s door and another £75 discovered under the sun visor.
The fiscal depute said the estimated value of the ecstasy was £220. No value was given for the cocaine.
Police also carried out a drug wipe on Johnston which tested positive for cocaine.
Defence lawyer Shona Westwood said her client had a cocaine addiction at the time and was being “paid in cocaine to deliver for someone else”.
Ms Westwood said he made a “stupid decision” but is now clean.
Sheriff Robert More sentenced Johnston to carry out 60 hours of unpaid work as part of a community payback order as an alternative to prison.
Evidence from beyond the grave
Ruaridgh Blair from Fife has been found guilty of raping an unconscious woman he injected with heroin after his victim gave evidence from beyond the grave. She gave evidence to police before she died in July 2021 and it was heard by jurors at the High Court in Dundee this week.
Hatchet man
A jilted lover took a hatchet to his girlfriend and her friend when she tried to end their relationship during a drunken night out in Pitlochry.
Alexander Cullens, 31, of Higher Oakfield, raised the small axe above his head when they turned up at his door on September 2 2021.
At Perth Sheriff Court, he admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.
Fiscal depute Bill Kermode said Cullens was out with his partner at the Coach House bar when the woman said she was breaking up with him.
He was drunk by the time other friends joined them and he was later ejected from the pub as he became “volatile”.
Two hours later, his now-ex partner left the bar with one of her female friends to return to the house she shared with Cullens.
“She knocked on the door,” said Mr Kermode.
“Minutes later, the accused opened the door and was in possession of a hatchet.
“He held it above his head, before dropping it on the ground.”
The fiscal depute said there was no explanation as to why the accused had the hatchet.
As the complainer packed her bags, first offender Cullens picked up the hatchet again and put it in his back pocket.
Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said: “He made no verbal threats but clearly these witnesses were very shaken.”
Sheriff Sheena Fraser ordered Cullens to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work.
Forecourt thief
Susan Sutherland, 56, from Scone admitted stealing hundreds of pounds worth of fuel from filling stations across Perthshire. She drove off without paying from forecourts in Blairgowrie, Pitlochry, Scone and Crieff and said she “didn’t care” if she was caught.
Twitter prejudice claims
A lawyer acting for former SNP MP Natalie McGarry in her embezzlement conviction appeal told judges how social media posts presents a “real problem” for the justice system.
Gordon Jackson KC told the Court of Criminal Appeal messages on Twitter prevented his client from receiving a fair trial.
Mr Jackson KC said his client, from Inverkeithing, was the subject of a “tsunami” of tweets before the start of her trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court last year.
As well as personal abuse, the tweets also referenced how Ms McGarry had previously pled guilty to the embezzlement charges but made no reference to why appeal judges ordered a retrial.
Mr Jackson said jurors had been prejudiced by their content and would have been unable to return fair verdicts.
He said: “How we deal with social media is a real problem for the operation of the legal system in this country.
“We say that the sheriff should have deserted proceedings when he was made aware of the tweets.”
Ms McGarry was granted permission to appeal her conviction for embezzlement after being given a two year prison sentence in July 2022.
She was found guilty of stealing £19,974 while treasurer of the pro indie group Women For Independence.
McGarry, who served as MP for the Glasgow East constituency between 2015 and 2017, was also convicted of pocketing £4,661 when she was treasurer and convener of the SNP’s Glasgow Regional Association.
However, lawyers for McGarry believe she is the victim of a miscarriage of justice.
Prosecutor Alex Prentice KC urged the appeal judges to reject Mr Jackson’s submissions.
He said that Sheriff Hughes had warned jurors to try Ms McGarry solely on the evidence presented to them in court, which he contends they did
He said care had to be taken on what measures could be applied on reporting court cases as it could result in “serious constitutional issues”.
The appeal judges will issue a decision in writing later.
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