A Perth thug hurled food at a woman in a famous city bakery.
James Russell appeared at Perth Sheriff Court to admit acting in a manner “likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear and alarm” at the award-winning Murrays.
On October 26 2022, in the South Street bakery – winner of the 2015 World Scotch Pie Championship – he repeatedly shouted, swore and made threats towards a man and threw an item of food at a woman.
The 42-year-old, of Nimmo Avenue, is currently subject to a community payback order.
Sheriff Gillian Wade deferred sentencing until April 26 for a report and for Russell to make a dent in his unpaid work.
Former footballer caused death crash
Former Montrose FC striker Craig Smart, 44, will be sentenced later after he was convicted of causing the death by careless driving of Fife father-of-two David McArthur. Smart hit the 43-year-old wit his van as he crossed a road in Cardenden and then drove off a few minutes later.
Receipt proves innocence
A Morrisons receipt helped clear an elderly lady of allegations she looked a Kingbarns neighbour in the eye while holding secateurs and saying she would “stick them up up her a***.”
Dorothy Anderson was acquitted of making the remark to another neighbour in a communal garden.
Tracy Cuthbert claimed she and a friend were having a coffee in her home in The Steadings, Kingsbarns, at around 10.30am on January 10 last year when Anderson made the remark while looking in her window and holding the gardening snips.
At Dundee Sheriff Court, paperwork from a supermarket in St Andrews proved Anderson was nowhere near the property at that time.
A receipt showed she had bought a newspaper at 10.08am and the employee who served her said she saw Anderson, 65, enter the cafe after they had a 10-minute conversation.
Anderson, who was tearful in the witness box, told her solicitor Lucy Boylen: “I go to the cafe every day to have my breakfast to get away from The Steadings.
“They’ve given me a pass so I can stay longer.”
The Crown decided not to proceed with a trial for possessing an offensive weapon midway and Sheriff Gregor Murray found Anderson not guilty of acting in a threatening or abusive manner.
Speeding chef
A Perth takeaway chef spotted by police speeding through Perth reversed down a one-way street to escape capture. Hassan Mohammed carried out a handbrake turn and sped off after police signalled for him to stop at traffic lights in Canal Street.
Perth dealer fined
A Perth street Valium dealer has been fined after being caught with hundreds of tablets at his city centre flat.
John Robertson, 55, appeared at Perth Sheriff Court to admit being concerned in the supply of Etizolam.
He had 379 of the Class C tablets at the Scott Street flat on February 2 last year, worth around £200.
Sheriff Gillian Wade fined him £300 plus a £20 victim surcharge and ordered forfeiture of a mobile phone containing incriminating texts.
After being handed a letter from Robertson’s drug worker, the sheriff said: “You’re obviously taking steps to sort the problem out yourself.”
MP abused in emails
A Dunfermline man repeatedly sent abusive messages to local MP Douglas Chapman. Unemployed lorry driver Graham Epworth, 41, sent emails ranting about the SNP MP’s support for Scottish independence.
Rapist remanded
A violent Fife sex offender faces a lengthy jail sentence after carrying a series of assaults and rapes.
John Ferrier compelled one woman to watch footage of females being assaulted, raped, tortured and murdered.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard he sexually assaulted one woman days after she had given birth and was still bleeding.
The woman said she was subjected to violence and cruel abuse by Ferrier.
She said: “He would swing a golf club.
“He would swing a baseball bat at me. It was just to terrify me.”
On one occasion the former hotel worker caused her to fall down stairs and she miscarried.
A second woman also lost a baby after she was pushed into a cupboard and kicked in the stomach.
Ferrier, 37, of Warwick Close, Leuchars, was convicted of seven rapes offences, two assaults and two charges of threatening or abusive behaviour between 2009 and 2015 in locations in Fife, including Methil, Leven, Kennoway and Cupar.
He was remanded for the preparation of a background report ahead of sentencing and placed on the Sex Offenders Register.
Absolute discharge
A Perth architect who clashed with children in a primary school playground has escaped punishment after a court heard the youngsters “gave as good as they got”. Alan Brown, 65, shouted and swore at the group gathered outside Ruthvenfield Primary after hours but was given an absolute discharge.
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