A cold caller from Dundee who robbed a pensioner in his own home will be supervised when he is released from prison.
Last month, Max McCaskill was convicted of assaulting and robbing the 79-year-old man after a trial at the city’s sheriff court.
McCaskill, who has spent most of 2023 on remand, was brought back to court to be sentenced following the completion of background reports.
Solicitor Mike Short said: “In the past, he’s struggled to co-operate with social work because of his drug addiction problems.”
Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown imposed a 20-month prison sentence, backdated to January 2.
She also made a six-month supervised release order.
Jaw break fine
Top Dundee businessman Walter “Wattie” Milne was fined £1500 after breaking a man’s jaw in the Fort Bar, Broughty Ferry. METALtech boss Milne was convicted by the majority of jurors following a trial at Dundee Sheriff Court.
No memory
A Perth man has no memory of lobbing a brick through the window of a city centre beauty shop, making off with £213 worth of cosmetics and causing £200 of damage.
Richard McIntosh smashed his way into the High Street branch of Savers during the first weeks of the Covid lockdown in April 2020.
Solicitor Pauline Cullerton, defending, said her client had no recollection of the raid, which was captured on CCTV.
“He remembers waking up in a police station,” she said.
“He was heavily under the influence of Valium at the time.”
Perth Sheriff Court heard he later terrorised neighbours by kicking and banging on their doors in a block of flats in Canal Street.
He was jailed for six months.
Fiscal depute Sam Craib said the 51-year-old arrived home at around 11pm on April 27 2020.
“He attempted to get into his home address and suffered cuts to his arm.
“He was in a distressed state.
“He started shouting and swearing, saying that his neighbours didn’t care for him.”
McIntosh then went door-to-door kicking and shouting.
He told one terrified resident: “Open the f***ing door you b***h.”
McIntosh was told he was frightening children living in the block and had to be separated from another tenant who confronted him.
McIntosh previously pled guilty to housebreaking, behaving in a threatening or abusive manner and two bail breaches.
Shoe shop embezzler
A former manager of a Dundee shoe shop was caught embezzling more than £1,000 after bosses began probing cash refunds. Alison Galligan had worked at the Clark’s shoe shop on Dundee’s Murraygate for more than two decades when she was pulled up by management.
Drink spiked?
A 21-year-old man who refused to leave a Dalgety Bay bar and struggled violently with police officers trying to handcuff him has been admonished.
William Johnstone appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court to admit behaving in a threatening or abusive manner and resisting, obstructing or hindering three police constables at Louie Brown’s bar in Regents Way on April 26 this year.
Prosecutor Amy Robertson told the court Johnstone was the last customer at the bar on a Wednesday night around 10.30pm when staff called police to help remove him as he was refusing to leave.
Officers arrived minutes later and saw a number of personal items were strewn around the bar on the ground.
When they approached, Johnstone told them to “f**k off”.
The fiscal said police attempted to escort him out by his arms but Johnstone became volatile, lashing out with his arms and legs and at one point struck a constable in the chest.
Johnstone was then taken to the ground but continued to struggle and prevent officers from applying handcuffs.
He was taken to Dunfermline police station.
Defence lawyer Stephen Morrison said first offender Johnstone’s behaviour appeared to be out of character.
He said his client had been drinking but “not to a significant degree” and, although he can not prove it, is of the view there was interference with one of his drinks.
The solicitor said Johnstone can not recollect anything and woke up in a cell with cuts and bruises, adding: “Police were good enough to give him a lift home despite his behaviour”.
He said Johnstone has apologised to police, the bar staff, and court staff, and is deeply ashamed and embarrassed.
Johnstone, of Skua Drive, Dalgety Bay, felt so bad about it he became depressed and consulted with a GP, who referred him to a psychiatrist.
Sheriff Mark O’Hanlon acknowledged it seemed out of character and admonished Johnstone.
Posted pic and made vile threats
A vile ex-boyfriend made rape and death threats before posting an explicit photo and personal details of his former lover online. However, Andrew Rennie from Montrose avoided being placed on the Sex Offenders Register as a sheriff ruled there was no “significant sexual element” to his behaviour.
Motorway crash
A 45-year-old woman has admitted drink-driving and colliding with a portable lighting unit on the motorway in Fife.
Stacey Robertson drove a car southbound on the M90, between the Kelty and Halbeath junctions, after consuming excess alcohol (170mgs/50) on June 2 this year.
On the same date and on the same stretch of road she drove carelessly by entering a closed area of the road, colliding with a portable lighting unit, driving towards road workers causing them to take evasive action, and colliding with a central reservation.
Robertson appeared in court to admit both charges.
Sheriff Mark O’Hanlon deferred sentencing until November 15 for background reports and banned Robertson from driving in the interim.
Attempted murder and fire raising charge
Jamie Morrison, 33, and Chloe Arnott, 30, both of Glenrothes, appeared in private at Dunfermline Sheriff Court on Wednesday to face an allegation of attempted murder and wilful fire raising to the danger of life following a fire at a block of flats in Lochgelly.
The pair also face charges of theft and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.
Neither entered a plea and they were committed for further examination and remanded in custody.
Abduction charges
Two men have appeared in a Fife court accused of assault and abduction.
David Stancu, 27, of Kirkcaldy, and Iacob Stancu, 25, of Methil, appeared in private at Dunfermline Sheriff Court to face the allegation.
They both made no plea or declaration and were committed for further examination and released on bail.
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