Drink-driver Lesley Rankin, 56, of Kirkcaldy, hit a kerb and flipped her car onto its roof.
At Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court she admitted drink-driving (187mg/ 67) on Burntisland Road, Kinghorn, on July 13 last year.
Prosecutor Laura McManus told the court that Rankin’s car slid on its roof for about 20 to 30 metres.
No other people were involved and she was taken to hospital with cuts, scrapes and bruises.
Defence lawyer Laura McLaughlin said the incident occurred when Rankin was having a particularly difficult time with her mental health and was subsequently diagnosed with depression and anxiety.
The solicitor said Rankin has since sought help and is receiving counselling, and has chosen not to drive since this incident and has no intention to do so.
Rankin was fined £600 and banned from driving for 12 months.
Sentencing slammed
A Dundee victim of an historic sex offender has slammed the four-year prison term imposed on his tormentor. Former Royal Marine Rowland Reilly, 57, admitted a series of sexual assaults in the mid-to-late 1980s. He abused seven members of the Royal Marine cadets at locations across Scotland, including RM Condor in Arbroath.
Emergency rage
John Reid, 35, from Dundee has been jailed for nine months after kicking off at Ninewells emergency department, including attacking staff and setting off a fire extinguisher.
At Dundee Sheriff Court, he pled guilty to acting in a culpable and reckless manner and assaulting two workers on May 13.
Fiscal depute Charmaine Gilmartin explained that Reid was brought into the ward at 1.30am and quickly became belligerent.
He took a fire extinguisher and discharged it and also threw around medical equipment.
Staff had to take cover in the nurses’ station while he rampaged.
He attacked a female nurse, pushing her and striking her on the body with a wet floor sign and assaulted an ambulance technician by punching him on the body.
Phone smuggler
The mother of a “manipulative” Fife rapist could be jailed herself after she was caught trying to smuggle a mobile phone into Perth Prison, hidden inside her wheelchair. Shona Alexander, whose son Steven Banks was caged for 11 years in October, surrendered the device – inside a balloon, concealed in an Aero wrapper and hidden under her seat cushion – when approached by suspicious prison staff.
Red light crash
Farming supplements salesman James Hardie has avoided a driving ban after jumping a red light and colliding with an oncoming Skoda in Blairgowrie.
At Perth Sheriff Court, the 67-year-old admitted driving an Isuzu D-Max Yukon carelessly at Back Brae on November 12 2022.
He had been driving without insurance nor a licence.
Fiscal depute Duncan McKenzie confirmed the other driver was uninjured.
A lawyer for Hardie, of West Acres, Lockerbie, said that his client had voluntarily revoked his licence after a medical matter but was later told by a doctor he was fit enough to drive and reported the update to the DVLA.
He said Hardie was unaware that he was uninsured at the time.
Sheriff Eric Brown told Hardie: “I’m prepared to accept this was an error of judgement, rather than a deliberate attempt to jump the lights”, fined him £300 and added 10 points to his licence.
Prime mistake
A 33-year-old Dundee man flew into a rage and abused staff during a supermarket bust-up over a bottle of controversial energy drink Prime. The sought-after bottle ultimately cost Sean Massey £150 as he was fined that amount for sparking a fracas in Asda in Dundee.
Trio on drugs charges
First Minister Humza Yousaf’s brother-in-law has appeared in court accused of drugs offences in Dundee.
Ramsay El Nakla appeared on a petition alleging being concerned in the supply of heroin at an address in Balmoral Gardens, Dundee, last week.
The 36-year-old, of Dundee, was also accused of possessing cocaine and cannabis at the same time.
On the same indictment facing the same charges were Stephen Stewart, 50, of no fixed abode and Victoria McGowan, 41, of Dundee.
McGowan is accused of being on bail at the time.
The three appeared in private at Dundee Sheriff Court before Sheriff George Way and made no plea.
They were granted bail to appear in court at a later date and the case was continued for further examination.
Battling neighbours
Two men in their 50s were branded “very, very daft” after arming themselves with planks of wood during a stand-up scrap as their neighbour dispute got out of hand in Carnoustie. A sheriff made the comment as he sentenced Stephen Wilson, 50, and Adam Airth, 59, at Forfar Sheriff Court.
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