A man is awaiting sentence after he admitted attacking a pensioner with dementia and motor neurone disease in Dundee.
The 82-year-old was knocked unconscious after striking his head on a stone wall when he was pushed over by Harris Riaz Butt, 33, who pled guilty to the December 21 2022 assault on Scotston Gardens.
Butt, of Keith Place, has previous convictions for assault.
Sheriff George Way was shown images of the victim’s injuries and remarked: “That’s proper injury”.
Sentence was deferred until September for a social work report to be prepared.
Stole from own mother
A callous Fife daughter must repay her dementia-stricken mother in full after stealing thousands of pounds. Sharon Robertson, 57, from Kirkcaldy, used electronic bank transfers to steal quantities of cash totalling £2,350.
Speeders spooked by biker
Two Ford Fiesta drivers hit double the speed limit on the Kingsway after claiming they were spooked by a motorcyclist.
Police were monitoring the movements of the biker but ended up pulling over first offenders Dillon Beat, 21, and 20-year-old Ayden Smith.
The pair, who were strangers to each other, were clocked at more than 80mph on the outside lane at Kingsway West.at around 9.35pm on June 9 2023.
Prosecutor Michael Robertson told Dundee Sheriff Court: “Police were on routine patrol monitoring the traffic flow.
“At this point, constables observed a motorcycle that joined the Kingsway.
“Whilst monitoring the motorcycle, officers observed both accused’s vehicles.”
Smith was driving between 80 to 83mph, with Beat driving behind him at the same speed.
Beat, of Gleneagles Avenue and Smith, of Ruxton Place in Carnoustie, pled guilty to driving carelessly.
Solicitor Scott Norrie said “adrenaline” kicked-in for Beat after the motorcycle went past him at speed.
The position was similar for mechanic Smith, according to his solicitor Billy Rennie.
Sheriff John Rafferty said their careless driving was “very significant” and the pair were each fined £720 and hit with eight penalty points.
‘Very problematic’ drug
A Fife sheriff says etizolam is becoming a “very problematic” drug as she dealt with a trio of dealers. Sheriff Krista Johnston made the observation as the latest cases involving so-called street valium were heard. John Healy was caught with more than 61,000 etizolam pills in one instance while duo Andrew Caldow and Gareth Inglis were found with more than 7,000 tablets in another, unconnected, case.
‘Large-scale’ dealer
A “large scale” cannabis dealer from Dunfermline has been jailed for 13 months.
Amrit Saghera, 40, appeared from custody at Dunfermline Sheriff Court for sentencing after earlier pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of the class B drug at an address in in the city’s Meldrum Court, between May 6 2021 and February 11 2022.
Sheriff Kirsta Johnston told Saghera of North Larches, Dunfermline: “You involved yourself in large-scale dealing.
“The narrative spoke of multiple kilos over a nine-month period.
“It’s very apparent from the nature of text messages exchanged there were thousands of pounds worth of drugs being dealt and you were facilitating that in the role of supply of a sophisticated operation.”
Defence lawyer Ryan Sloan said Saghera’s drug misuse spiralled, he ended up owing money to some “rather serious people” and felt he had no option but to work for them to pay off the debt.
Garden toilet
Leven man Derek Mooney was seen exposing himself at his open front door in the middle of the day. Although he admitted public indecency, it was decided there was no sexual element to his crime because he was just urinating because his toilet was broken.
Bus-spotter bust up
Matthew Macleod, 22, from Glasgow, has been fined after repeatedly accusing a fellow bus-spotter of being a sex offender in a string of abusive calls.
Macleod harassed the Dundee-based man for more than a month after their friendship turned sour.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told how first offender Macleod met the man on a “number of occasions” after connecting through a Facebook group for people with an interest in buses.
Prosecutor Larissa Milligan said over the course of several weeks, the man received dozens of phone calls from a withheld number, later revealed to be Macleod.
Macleod would frequently call the man a “beast” and a “paedophile” while shouting and swearing.
Ms Milligan said: “On one occasion at 2.20am, the victim began to receive further calls – there were 11 calls between 2.21am and 2.22am.
“The accused is heard to say ‘I’m going to burst you’ and ‘s***ebag’.
“It appeared to be the case that the accused had formed the view that the victim was responsible for sexually assaulting people.”
Macleod, 22, pled guilty to engaging in an abusive course of conduct towards the man between March 15 and April 18 this year, causing him fear and alarm, by shouting, swearing, making derogatory remarks and violent threats.
Sheriff George Way fined him £200 and imposed a one-year non-harassment order.
‘Inexplicable’ crash
A motorist has told a court how he blacked out moments after an “inexplicable” head-on smash in Kinross-shire. Cameron Die Konigin was driving down the B9097 near Gairney Bridge when he was struck by Mark Aitken‘s van turning onto the M90.
Second offence
22-year-old Cairn Williams appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court to admit driving with excess alcohol (32mics22).
Williams, of Barrie Street, Methil, was caught on Randolph Street in Kirkcaldy on June 29 this year.
Solicitor Gino Gambale explained that on August 8, Williams will be sentenced for a dangerous driving offence, for which he has already been disqualified on an interim basis.
Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlane deferred sentencing to the same date.
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