A bus driver who crashed a coach into traffic lights near Ferrytoll park and ride in Fife has been banned from driving.
Daniel Pollock, 27, appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court to plead guilty to driving carelessly on junction 1b of the M90 on November 4 last year.
Prosecutor Katie Adams told the court the bus, with three people on board, crashed into a central reservation and hit the lights.
Photographs shared online after the collision show a wrecked traffic light and damage to the front end of a Stagecoach bus.
Pollock, of Lauder Court in Glenrothes, was representing himself in court and said he lost concentration and had been going through a difficult time.
Sheriff Garry Sutherland told Pollock he must disqualify him as he was driving a vehicle carrying members of the public and has a directly analogous previous conviction and 10 points on his licence as a result.
The sheriff banned Pollock from driving for nine months and fined him £200, taking account of the fact he would likely lose his employment.
Screwdriver ear attack
Kirkcaldy man Paul Bilan has been locked up for almost three years after pleading guilty to a stomach-turning domestic assault. The 35-year-old pushed a screwdriver into his partner’s ear and cut it so badly, a police officer could see through the wound.
Grower re-sentenced
A cannabis farmer has been resentenced after a court heard he was no longer well enough to complete his unpaid work order.
David Taylor was caught with £4,500 worth of illicit plants when police raided his property near Blairadam, Kelty.
The 40-year-old told police he grew the crop to help him calm down, as he suffers from anxiety and depression.
He admitted producing the controlled drug at his then-farm on October 26 2021.
Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard in February 2023 that police seized seven plants worth about £650 each.
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis ordered him to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.
Taylor, who has since moved to Abernethy, returned to the dock at Perth Sheriff Court this week.
His solicitor Linda Clark said his health had deteriorated and he could no longer complete his unpaid work.
Sheriff Alison McKay revoked the order and imposed a six-month daily curfew, from 9pm to 7am.
Samurai scare
A man who walked into a Blairgowrie chemist’s armed with a Samurai sword has been ordered to carry out unpaid work. John McCulloch was high on street Valium when he drew the foot-long blade in front of stunned staff at Davidson’s Pharmacy.
Bridge crash charges
A Fife man has appeared in court accused of causing serious injury by driving the wrong way on the Tay Road Bridge contraflow system.
Robbie Reilley allegedly collided with another vehicle during the incident on September 18 last year.
The 28-year-old allegedly drove a car dangerously on the A92 near the bridge roundabout by entering the northbound contraflow system in the wrong direction.
He is accused of driving southbound in the northbound contraflow before crashing into another vehicle, the female driver of which suffered a cut head.
Reilley, of Walnut Crescent in Methil, appeared on a petition at Dundee Sheriff Court which included an alternative allegation of driving carelessly.
Prosecutors also allege Reilley was driving without a licence or insurance and failed failed to stop after the accident or provide his details.
No plea was offered and Reilley’s was released on bail.
Software lock-out
A Bridge of Allan school finance worker locked management out of their accounts programme after quitting over a pay dispute. Silvius Cornean admitted booting fee-paying Fairview International School in Bridge of Allan out of accounting software which he set up while working there.
Drugs and SIMs
A Perth prisoner jailed for a botched murder bid was caught with a stash of SIM cards and hundreds of pounds worth of drugs.
Reece Govan, 27 – serving eight years for his role in the shooting of a dog walker in Cumbernauld – was found with the contraband as he lay unconscious on his cell floor on the evening of December 29 2022.
He appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted possessing 20 SIMs, 4.5g of cocaine, with a prison value of £750, and 6.5g of class C Gabapentinoids – a widely used prescription drug which became illegal to supply or sell in 2019.
Govan’s solicitor said the offence could have an impact on his parole.
Sheriff Alison McKay noted he had a previous conviction for SIM card possession from December.
She imposed a concurrent eight-month sentence, which will not affect his 2030 release date.
Last year, Stirling High Court heard how innocent bystander Michelle Butler was caught in a crossfire and her pet Henry was struck by 25 pellets and killed.
Bridie hotspot break-in bid
A teenage raider used a hammer to cause £3000 worth of damage during an attempted break-in to iconic Forfar bakery Saddlers. Lewis Angus repeatedly struck the front door of Saddlers Bakery on the town’s North Street – famous for its bridies – in a bid to break-in and steal.
Positive report
A young vehicle thief has been placed under supervision.
Lewis McKechnie took the vehicle from Craigard Road in Callander on February 8 last year.
Stirling Sheriff Court heard the 20-year-old, of the town’s Pearl Street, has been on a structured deferred sentence since the beginning of November.
His solicitor said: “It’s a positive report.”
Sheriff Derek Hamilton imposed a community payback order lasting 12 months.
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