A man who sexually assaulted a child has been sentenced.
Andrew Fowler, 24, admitted carrying out the attacks on a number of occasions between June 1 and July 31 2023 at an address in Dundee.
On the day he was due to stand trial at Dundee Sheriff Court, Fowler pled guilty to licking the girl’s tongue, partially removing her upper clothing and exposing her breast.
Fowler, of Pitairlie Road, also touched the child’s upper thigh, repeatedly shared a bed with her and repeatedly seized her body and pulled her towards him.
Social work reports and an assessment of Fowler’s mental state were carried out before Sheriff George Way placed him on supervision for 18 months, with a requirement to undertake counselling as directed by the social work department.
He must perform 110 hours of unpaid work and will be subject to registration requirements for 18 months.
Ex-footballer jailed
A former Tayside and Fife footballer caught out by his fat fingers after sexually abusing a young girl in Thailand has been jailed for four years. Ian Heddle was snared after being held at Edinburgh Airport in February 2023 as he returned to the Far East from Fife. The 61 year-old was recognised on sick footage when his fat fingers and wedding ring were captured on camera.
Long wait
A disqualified driver was woken up by police after he fell asleep behind the wheel at a level crossing while “waiting for a train to pass”.
Barry Miller, 39, was reported by a member of the public after stopping at the crossing on Kingseat Road on June 19 this year and becoming unresponsive.
Miller, or Leadside Crescent, Wellwood, appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court to plead guilty to driving while disqualified and without insurance.
Prosecutor Azrah Yousaf told the court police received a call at around 10.50pm saying the car was stopped in the road and both the driver and front seat passenger – a woman – were unresponsive.
The fiscal depute said police woke Miller and he stated he was “waiting for a train to pass at the crossing and fell asleep behind the wheel”.
A police computer check revealed he was disqualified from driving and he was cautioned and charged.
Defence lawyer Alexander Flett said her client was suffering from lack of sleep but he agreed to drive from the Kinross area because the passenger, the car’s owner, was even more tired than he was.
Sheriff Krista Johnston deferred sentencing until August 21 for reports and said: “I will make no promises in respect of disposal because clearly a custodial sentence is uppermost in the mind of the court.”
Miller was made subject to an interim disqualification and bail was continued.
Vet swindler
A finance boss who embezzled more than £31,000 from an emergency vet centre in Fife is still working in the sector for bosses who do not know about his crime, a court has heard. Derek Giblin swindled the money while employed at Vets Now in Dunfermline, over a period spanning five years.
Reported by wife
A Lochgelly man who admitted possessing and distributing indecent images of children has stopped looking at pornography and taken up hillwalking instead.
Kevin Donnachie, 58, of The Braes, appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court for sentencing after previously pleading guilty to the offences, which took place between July 24 and August 8 last year.
The court heard Donnachie’s wife had reported the matter to police.
Defence lawyer Kevin Connor said his client has been engaging extensively with the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a charity which works to prevent child sexual abuse and exploitation and is also receiving support through charity Stop It Now.
He said a social work report on his client mentions his “deep shame” and highlights past trauma.
Mr Connor said his client has all but stopped drinking and no longer accessing pornography at all, with parental locks on all devices which his wife can control.
He has taken up healthier pursuits, such as hillwalking.
He said: “I would suggest the risk he posed previously has been reduced by the passage of time and activities he has engaged in.”
Sheriff Krista Johnston pointed out the number of images involved was limited, that Donnachie is a first offender, has expressed remorse, and has taken important steps to address the root of the offending.
The sheriff said he previously led a pro-social life and being ostracised in the community is, to some extent, punishment.
She sentenced Donnachie to 240 hours of unpaid work with two years of offender supervision and strict conduct requirements.
He was put on the sex offenders register for two years.
No fairy story
Controlling abuser Gary Finnie, who cut off his partner’s ponytail and struck her legs with broken glass during a year of torment, has been jailed. The 38-year-old called the woman ‘Rapunzel’ and cut her hair while she slept.
Birthday bash
An elderly van driver who struck a cyclist in Forfar has been fined £500 and furnished with five penalty points.
Douglas Carr, from Grangemouth, appeared in the dock at Forfar Sheriff Court to admit a reduced charge of driving without due care or attention.
The 71-year-old had initially been charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving, an offence which carries mandatory disqualification.
On February 16 last year – the day before his 70th birthday, he struck cyclist James Finlay on Craig O’Loch Road.
He had attempted to overtake the pushbike when it was unsafe to do so while approaching a traffic island.
Carr failed to give sufficient room and collided with the cyclist, leaving him injured.
Second male on car murder bid charges
A second person has appeared in court accused of trying to kill a man in Dundee by running over him with a car. Jayden Robertson, 19, is accused of pursuing the man with knives before driving over him with a car on Strathmartine Road on July 9. Marley Williams, 24, appeared on the same charges earlier this month.
Nasty neighbour
Glenrothes nasty neighbour Clarisse Grant must compensate a man whose car she scraped on June 19, then scraped again after police spoke to her.
The 48-year-old, of Stroma Way, was spotted on the owner’s Ring doorbell.
Police traced her the following day and released her on an undertaking to appear at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court later.
But on July 1, Grant struck again – and was caught on camera again – scraping the grill of the car ten minutes after its owner had driven to work in a van.
Solicitor Calum Harris said: “Ms Grant is hoping to be moved from there.”
Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlane deferred sentencing until August 9 for the court to find out the cost of the damage.
She said: “I find it quite incomprehensible you go back and do it again.
“It beggars belief. That is a serious matter – it’s an aggravation.”
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