Gareth Hutchison, 40, from Dundee was jailed for 10 years, with a further three years on licence for a series of sexual and violent offences.
Hutchison was sentenced at the High Court in Aberdeen after previously being found guilty of offences including rape and assault, committed in the Dundee and Perth areas over a 16-year period between 2004 and 2020.
Detective Inspector Gordon Patullo said: “Hutchison carried out these terrible crimes over a number of years and will now have to face the consequences of his despicable actions in prison.
“His appalling behaviour has had a profound impact on the lives of those involved and I hope today’s verdict will allow them some form of closure and enable them to move forward in their lives.
“This should also send a clear message to others that any type of violent or sexual abuse will not be tolerated.
“We treat all reports of violent or sexual crime seriously, with the utmost professionalism and sensitivity, and we will thoroughly investigate in order to bring perpetrators of such crimes to justice.”
Obscene gestures
A 51-year-old van driver left early morning lone female walkers scared and disgusted by winding down his windows and making sexual gestures towards them in Fife. Sylwester Grzymiszews’ victims told a trial he drove next to them and made an obscene gesture with his fingers and tongue.
Scratching shoplift suspect
A suspected shoplifter scratched and bit the manager of a discount supermarket in Perth.
James Ritchie appeared from custody at the city’s sheriff court and admitted assaulting two female staff members at the Food Warehouse on Tuesday morning.
Fiscal depute Elizabeth Hodgson said the 29-year-old walked into the store at 10.45am and began acting suspiciously.
Ritchie was challenged by a teenage employee and he scratched her, before turning on the store manager.
Ms Hodgson said: “She was also scratched and nipped by the accused.
“He then leaned out and bit her on her hand.
“His mouth was open wide and he left saliva.”
The court heard the employee let go of Ritchie and he fled on foot.
Ritchie, of St Catherine’s Square, pled guilty to assaulting both staff members to their injury on August 29.
Prosecutors accepted a not guilty plea to a shoplifting charge.
Sheriff Alison McKay remanded Ritchie in custody and deferred sentence until September 27.
She told him: “There is a significant risk of you reoffending.”
Drugs bust
Drug dealers were caught red-handed during a Dundee cannabis drop. Andrew Nicoll, 42, from the city and Chen Qing from Coventry were watched by detectives as they made the exchange. Qing then tried to flee Dundee with more drugs and £41,000 cash in his car. A third man, Graham Haggart, 37, admitted cannabis production.
Cannabis odour led police to car
A woman caught behind the wheel at more than three times the legal drug-driving limit blamed her ex-boyfriend for smoking cannabis in her car.
The smell was so strong from Alanna Farmer‘s Ford Fiesta, it caught the attention of passing police officers.
After following to ensure it was the source of the smell, they stopped the 22-year-old in Kirkcaldy.
A roadside drug test was positive and it was later found that she had seven mics of a cannabis metabolite in her system. The legal limit is two.
Both Farmer and her ex-partner were detained and she pled guilty to drug-driving on Dunnikier Road, Kirkcaldy.
Solicitor Iain McCafferty, defending, said Farmer had recently left an abusive relationship but had consented to pick the man up in her car.
He said: “It was her former partner that was smoking in the vehicle.
“She asked him not to but was ignored.
“Given the history of the relationship, that’s not surprising.
“Had it not been against the background of this relationship she would not have allowed herself to drive.”
Sheriff Mungo Bovey banned her from the roads for one year and fined her £500.
Weapons fanatic
Weapons fanatic Kai Fekkes, 20, who pretended he was firing a live gun on a Dundee street for a social media stunt has been jailed for 29 months. Fekkes was caught when police raided his home and found the blanks-firing gun and the video.
Rape petition
Armond Truni, 31, from Dundee, appeared in private at the city’s sheriff court accused of rape.
He made no plea and the case was continued for further examination. He was remanded.
The appearance was in connection to an alleged incident in the Downfield area of Dundee on Saturday morning.
Truni is due to appear back in court next week.
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