A drug dealer who embraced his girlfriend before entering the dock was told by a sheriff: “You’re not at the pictures.”
Andrew Townsley was due to be sentenced this week after being caught with heroin and cash at his Perth home.
The 40-year-old appeared at the city’s sheriff court and admitted a separate charge of making violent threats towards a housing officer.
He was reprimanded by Sheriff David Hall as he hugged his former co-accused Chloe Hamilton when his case called.
Solicitor John McLaughlin, defending, said his client apologised to the court for his behaviour.
Townsley pled guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, likely to cause fear or alarm, at his then-home in Cross Street on March 10 2020.
The court heard he shouted, swore and uttered threats of violence and made a threatening gesture.
The court previously heard how Townsley was found with two grammes of heroin and scales with traces of brown powder at his address on July 21 2021.
Officers also discovered more than £420 cash.
Townsley, now of St Catherine’s Square, Perth, admitted being concerned in the supply of the class A drug and was earlier told to prepare for prison.
Sheriff Hall deferred sentence on both matters to investigate alternatives to custody.
Stamp attack
A Dundonian thug left an epileptic man with six fractured ribs after an unprovoked attack outside a city pub. Scott Ross, 51, will be sentenced next month after admitting “severely” injuring his victim outside the Club Bar.
Spat in PC’s mouth
A Dundee woman spat in a police officer’s mouth and in another constable’s eye after biting her hand, the city’s sheriff court heard.
Police attended at Deksi Lee Webster‘s home in Provost Road just before 11pm on April 11 last year after receiving reports of a woman screaming.
Drunk Webster, 21, began to act “erratically” and told police: “F***ing paedos… f*** off you c***s” and called them “f***ing beasts.”
She was restrained and called the arresting officer an “English p**f”.
En route to West Bell Street HQ, she was described as being up and down – apologising, then ranting.
After the journey, she spat “a large amount of saliva” in the face of PC Peter Cowen, said depute fiscal Lynne Mannion.
At a cell, Webster bit a female officer on the hand and then spat in her eye.
She pled guilty to assaulting both officers and acting in a threatening or abusive manner.
Sentencing was deferred until August 18 for reports and Webster’s bail was continued.
Sheriff Paul Brown said: “These are disgusting crimes.
“The first thing I’m looking at is whether or not to send you to prison here.”
Scrappy job
Young thief Miles Westwood stole farm equipment and vintage tractor parts worth £2,500 but pocketed less than £500 when he scrapped his haul. Westwood, 19, targeted an abandoned farm near Dunning on three occasions in February 2021.
Job jeopardy
24-year-old Fife Council worker Callum Meekison was clocked driving at 121mph on the A92 and has been fined and banned.
Meekison, of Turriff Place, Kirkcaldy, pled guilty to the speeding offence on the 70mph stretch of road near Balfarg, Glenrothes, at around 9pm on June 25 last year.
Procurator fiscal depute Eve McKaig told Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court police in an unmarked car followed Meekison’s Honda Civic after hearing a loud exhaust noise while dealing with another matter.
On a straight section of road the officers’ vehicle reached speeds of 121mph.
The Honda Civic was later stopped at a roundabout.
Defence lawyer David Cranston said his “surprised” client was paying attention to the manner of his driving but not watching his speed.
He said his client’s work with Fife Council as an IT system support technician requires him to hold a driver’s licence, meaning he might be dismissed.
Sheriff Mark O’Hanlon banned Meekison from driving for 108 days and fined him £360.
Prison warning for rapist
A Dundee rapist who subjected a vulnerable woman to physical and sexual abuse has been told a prison sentence for his crimes is “inevitable”. Sean Mitchell, 23, assaulted the woman at a city location in August 2021.
Accidental blade-carrier
A man caught carrying a knife in a Perth street told a court: “It was an accident”.
Paul Mackay appeared at the city’s sheriff court and admitted having a Stanley blade in a public space, outside his then-home in Dunsinane Drive, on November 6 last year.
Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said the 32-year-old was stopped by police officers and told them: “I’m only out walking my dog, I forgot that knife was in my pocket.”
Mr Holmes said: “He has been trying his best to stay out of trouble.”
Sheriff David Hall deferred sentence on Mackay, of Skinnergate, Perth, for background reports.
For the latest court cases across Tayside and Fife, join our Courts Facebook page.
