A man is to stand trial charged with trying to kill two young children in Dundee.
Dale Clelland, 36, is accused of attacking a boy, aged around a year at the time, in September 2010 by seizing him by the body and holding his head under water.
The other boy was just months old when he was allegedly assaulted in August 2020 by, prosecutors claim, repeatedly being shaken.
The alleged attempted murders are said to have occurred at different locations in Dundee.
Clelland faces a separate accusation of assaulting a girl to her injury on various occasions between August 2013 and December 2016 and is further charged with spitting at a woman, all in Dundee.
At the High Court in Glasgow, lawyers pled not guilty on Clelland’s behalf and Lord Fairley fixed a trial due to begin in March 2024.
Clelland, of Dundee, remains on bail.
Knifeman broke 999-year ban
A Fife man who stabbed his heavily pregnant girlfriend, causing her to lose their unborn twins, broke a 999-year court order by repeatedly phoning her from prison. Stephen Ramsay, 39,was jailed in 2020 after he admitted attempting to murder his partner at their home in Glenrothes and handed the lifelong non-harassment order, banning him from contacting his victim.
Garage doors bust-up
A Perth businessman who threatened to drive his van through his ex-girlfriend’s garage door has been ordered to stay out of trouble.
Dean Laing got into a text row about money and work equipment with his partner – an employee of his company – at her home in Perth on April 24.
Fiscal depute Elizabeth Hodgson said: “The accused arrived at the complainer’s home and picked up some items she had left out for him.
“He then banged on the front door, while shouting and swearing.
“The accused was asked to leave but he said he wasn’t going without his work equipment.”
Laing told his ex: “I’ll drive my van through the garage door if you don’t get it out for me.”
The 32-year-old later told police: “I was never going to actually do it.”
Laing, who represented himself in court, told Sheriff Mark O’Hanlon: “It was the most ridiculous thing ever, because she was refusing to allow me to work by not getting me my stuff.”
He pled guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner and sentence was deferred until August 9, for Laing, of Logie Crescent, to prove he can stay out of trouble.
Angus smash
An Angus van driver who left a motorcyclist needing metal plates inserted in his wrist after a horrific road crash has been banned for two years. Former nurse Gordon Huggins, 61, caused the accident on the A92 last year.
Dog dispute
Jason Maxwell, 41, left Graham Rosie with a fractured eye socket and a permanent scar above the eyebrow following an assault at Dunfermline bus station on January 22 last year.
Procurator fiscal depute Jamie Hilland told Dunfermline Sheriff Court Mr Rosie was there with his Staffordshire Bull Terrier and Maxwell’s then-partner was engaging with the dog and trying to take it.
The fiscal said Maxwell intervened and punched Mr Rosie to the face, causing him to fall to the ground, before punching him again in the face.
A bystander contacted police as the dog ran around the station off its lead and Maxwell and the woman ran off.
The court heard Mr Rosie’s face and clothing were covered in blood and his right eye was so swollen he could not see out of it.
He was examined in hospital and found to have a “full thickness wound” above the right eyebrow and a CT scan confirmed a fractured right eye socket.
He has permanent scarring round his eye where the wound was stitched.
Maxwell, formerly of Erskine Road in Oakley, appeared in court by video link from prison to admit the charge of assault to severe injury and permanent disfigurement.
Defence lawyer Alexander Flett said his then-partner took the view the dog was “not happily cared for” by Mr Rosie and it would be better if she took it.
He said the argument between the pair “becomes physical” with “pushing and shoving” and his client, who was a distance away speaking to others, saw what appeared to him as her being “pushed around” and became involved.
He claims he heard a shout Mr Rosie was getting up so struck his victim again.
The court heard Maxwell is already serving a 22-month jail sentence.
Sheriff Charles Macnair sentenced him to 22 months and 14 days in prison, to run consecutively to his present jail term.
Head chef shame
A Broughty Ferry restaurant head chef who crashed his car while more than twice the drink-drive limit climbed from his car and reported himself to police. Daniel Avis, 23, appeared admitted driving a friend home after drinking a couple of “hefty” gin and tonics.
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