A Stagecoach bus driver was punched in the face as he drove in Dundee, by a passenger who had his fake ID confiscated.
Daryl Cruikshanks, 26, lashed out in front of a bus full of passengers as the driver tried to fend him off.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told the driver was assaulted after he spotted Cruikshanks was trying to use a woman’s ID and confiscated his fake Young Scot card on the 57 Stagecoach service on Coupar Angus Road.
Fiscal depute Calum Gordon said “The accused leaned over as he was driving the bus and put his hand into his chest pocket to try and retrieve the card.
“The accused struck (the driver) to the face with a closed fist.
“He was left with bruising and a slight graze to his left eye.
“A crown on his front tooth was dislodged.”
The driver stopped and let out Cruikshanks to avoid further violence but the vehicle’s CCTV camera caught the altercation.
Cruikshanks, from Blairgowrie, admitted the April 18 2022 assault and attempted robbery (of the ID card).
Solicitor Jim Caird, defending, said: “He has some sort of mental health difficulties. He takes full responsibility for this.”
Cruikshanks was granted bail by Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown and sentence was deferred for the preparation of social work reports.
Knifeman jailed
A Dundee knifeman who left his victim permanently disfigured after three days of binging on drink and drugs is behind bars. Convicted drug dealer Michael Torano, 33, left his victim scarred for life was in the attack in Dundee’s Craigie area.
Put number on dating website
A Montrose man threatened to rape and kill his ex-partner, before posting an explicit photo and her personal details on a dating website without her knowledge.
Andrew Rennie, 44, hurled her suitcase and belongings over a banister during a drunken bust-up while the couple were staying in an AirbnB in November 2021.
Despite ending the relationship a few months later, he carried on plaguing the woman with more than 200 phone calls from February 4 to 21 2022, in which he made death and rape threats.
Fiscal depute Calum Gordon told Dundee Sheriff Court: “He was threatening to rape and kill her.
“He instructed her to prostitute herself. He questioned her faithfulness and was telling her he put her phone number on a dating website.
“She checked the website and observed her phone number, place of work and an intimate image of herself.”
Rennie later turned up uninvited at her home.
When he was arrested, Rennie admitted sending the messages and said he did it while under the influence of alcohol.
He admitted engaging in a course of behaviour which caused his former partner fear or alarm at various locations around Falkirk and Montrose between November 20 2021 and February 21 2022.
Rennie had sentence deferred for the preparation of background reports and his bail was continued.
Paedophile called police himself
A serial child sex offender who called police when paedophile hunters turned up at his door has been jailed for 12 months. Francis Burns called police to whinge he was being harassed after the vigilante group exposed him for sending nude photos and videos to what he thought was a 13-year-old girl.
Pasta disaster
A spurned boyfriend who tipped pasta sauce on his former partner’s carpets during a campaign of abuse lasting several months has had sentence further deferred.
Alan Taylor, 32, also took his victim’s car without permission, broke her tumble dryer and mobile phone, and left a trail of broken glass on her floor during repeated unwanted visits.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told that after spilling pasta sauce Taylor fled the scene but drunkenly staggered back some time later with sauce stains on his trousers.
Police were there carrying out inquiries.
He went on to abuse police after being taken to Ninewells Hospital.
In August, he admitted domestic abuse charges dating from July and October last year and threatening or abusive behaviour at the hospital.
He was due to be sentenced but was further remanded for more time to prepare reports and will appear again in October.
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