A would-be Kirkcaldy cheesecake thief has been jailed for more than two years after going on a racist rant at a Co-op employee.
Craig Robertson, 44, also admitted bringing a knife to another property in the Fife town.
He appeared by video link from HMP Perth at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court to admit acting in a threatening or abusive manner on June 23 and July 14 this year.
Fiscal depute Sarah Wilkinson explained that at 9.30pm on June 23, Robertson entered the Dunearn Drive shop and tried to leave without paying with a trio of cheesecakes.
He was stopped but returned shortly after and called a security guard a “p**i” and told him: “I’m going to stab you, you black b*****d.”
Three weeks later, while on bail, Robertson was at a property in Cawder Crescent, where he repeatedly banged on a window, challenged a man to fight, threatened to damage windows and brandished a knife.
Solicitor Martin McGuire said: “Unfortunately he has had a long-term issue with substance misuse and dependence.
“He told me, most candidly, the remand in custody allowed him to reset.”
Sheriff James Williamson jailed Robertson for 28 months.
Register for funeral director
A Fife funeral director who sexually assaulted a woman in her Methil home has been put on the Sex Offenders Register for five years. Alex Little, 48, previously pled guilty to cuddling his victim, unclipping her bra and fondling her breasts, all while she was intoxicated and incapable of giving consent at the property on May 6 this year.
Abuse images
A Fife man was caught with child sexual abuse images of girls as young as five.
Reece Martin, 21, appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court to admit possessing and taking, permitting to be taken or making indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children, between January 16 and October 7 2022.
Prosecutor Brogan Moffat said police received information about child sexual abuse material being uploaded at Martin’s address at Glebe Road, Cowdenbeath.
Officers searched the property on October 7 last year, recovering a mobile phone and a computer owned and used by Martin.
A total of 15 child sexual abuse images were found, depicting females aged between five and 14.
Ms Moffat said: “The accused was arrested and stated, ‘I acknowledge a couple I may have accidentally saved as I was in the wrong mindset at the time’.”
Defence lawyer Aime Allan said she would reserve mitigation for Martin’s sentencing but stressed, when the devices were examined, only one image was found to be category A, the most graphic kind, and the remainder were category B and C.
Sheriff Neil Bowie deferred sentence until December 13 to obtain background reports and continued bail.
First offender Martin was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register.
Salvation Army attacker
A Salvation Army cleaner repeatedly sexually assaulted a woman at the church’s Perth city centre base. Gordon Anderson, 70, has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register after he admitted groping and kissing his victim multiple times over a nine month period at the place of worship on South Street.
Smoked cannabis night before
A Dunfermline drug-driver was caught after police apparently smelled cannabis from his car as he drove past them.
Adam Roeleveld, 37, of Turnbull Grove, pled guilty to driving a car on the B981 near Woodlea Farm, Crossgates, when the proportion of THC in his blood was 7mics/litre – above the limit of 2 mics/litre.
Prosecutor Brogan Moffat told Dunfermline Sheriff Court police were carrying out speed checks on the road at about 10am.
He said: “The accused’s vehicle passed officers and they noted a strong smell of cannabis from the vehicle”.
The car was stopped and searched and a small amount of cannabis was produced and Roeleveld returned a positive test for the drug.
Self-representing in court, Roeleveld said: “I am very sorry.
“It was the night before with my friends and in the morning, I got pulled over by the police”.
Sheriff Neil Bowie said: “Substances stay in your system for a period of time and will clearly affect your ability to be behind the wheel.
“Even when you were passing, they (police) detected a strong smell of cannabis”.
The sheriff banned Roeleveld from driving for one year and fined him £500.
Teacher struck off
A Fife teacher who failed to report allegations a rapist colleague had been having a sexual contact with a pupil has been struck off. Ellen Bogie had been contacted by a vulnerable girl who said music teacher Matthew Birch had abused her. Bogie, a principal music teacher at a high school in Fife, did not immediately disclose the claims to bosses when they emerged in 2018 but instead, contacted Birch. He was later jailed for rape.
Assault petition
A man has appeared in court following an alleged serious assault in Kinross-shire.
Emergency services descended on Milnathort on Monday morning following reports of a disturbance.
An area around Stirling Road was locked down and a 33-year-old man was taken by ambulance to Ninewells Hospital.
Gary Black appeared on petition at Perth Sheriff Court in connection with the incident.
The 29-year-old faces a charge of assault to severe injury.
Black, who is from Kirkcaldy, made no plea during the brief private hearing before Sheriff William Wood.
He was released on bail and will return to court at a future date.
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