An art dealer accused of making thousands of pounds by forging the signature of a well-known artist on a series of works he was selling has had his trial postponed.
Broguhty Ferry gallery boss Sandro Paladini, 60, had the case put back so his lawyer can obtain a report from a handwriting expert to provide as defence evidence.
Paladini, of Brook Street, is charged with forming a fraudulent scheme to exploit the works of landscape artist Ron Lawson at Eduardo Alessandro Studios, Gray Street between August 2018 and September 2019.
It is alleged he made more than £2,000 by faking the artist’s signature on a series of unsigned works.
Paladini denies passing off the unsuspecting artist’s work as “signed” to a number of customers and was due to face trial at Dundee Sheriff Court next month.
The trial is now scheduled for March next year.
Murder trial day 5
The fifth day of a murder trial heard how police officers spoke to accused John Lizanec through the door of his mother’s home in Dundee after discovering his wife Michelle’s dead body at their home in Inchture, Perthshire. One DC told the court Lizanec – who denies all charges – told her “I need to face up to what I’ve done“.
Spitting thug
A ranting thug spat in one police officer’s mouth and another’s eye, before sinking her teeth into her hand.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard police attended Deksi Lee Webster‘s home in the city’s Provost Road just before 11pm on April 11 last year after receiving reports about a screaming woman.
Drunk Webster was acting erratically and told police: “F***ing paedos. F**k off you c***s. F***ing beasts.”
She was restrained and called the arresting officer an “English p**f.”
The court was told that as she was being taken to force HQ her behaviour alternated between ranting abuse and apologising.
Fiscal depute Lynn Mannion said that at the end of the journey, Webster spat “a large amount of saliva” in the face of a male PC.
She pled guilty to assaulting both officers and acting in a threatening or abusive manner.
Sentence was deferred until 12 January and 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.”
He told Webster she would be given time to sort accommodation and stabilise her life so a structured deferred sentence could be continued.
Fast and Furious
A Fast and Furious-style thief who was in a gang that stole six cars including a Jaguar, BMW and Land Rover Discovery in a 34-minute spree has been jailed for five years. Garry Myles helped raid garages to steal high value cars across Tayside and Fife.
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