A sheriff urged a heroin addict to take steps to “stay alive” before his next court hearing.
Andrew Townsley was placed on a community payback order – due to end in March 2025 – for dealing class A drugs at his then-home in Perth’s Cross Street in July 2021.
The 41-year-old was told to engage with IDART, the local Integrated Drug Alcohol Recovery Team.
He returned to Perth Sheriff Court for a review of his ongoing order and solicitor Pauline Cullerton said her client was engaging well and “usually” attending for his appointments.
Sheriff William Wood told Townsley: “You are not looking particularly well, that probably reflects your habit.
“If you are going to keep taking heroin while using methadone, there’s a real risk that you could overdose.
“If you don’t want to see the next life soon, you need to address that.
“You are doing well to stay out of trouble but you need to be doing more to stay alive until the next review.”
Townsley was told to return to court on October 30.
Weeping robber
Armed robber Reece Lochrie, 24, broke down in tears during a raid on a Perth newsagent. He walked into the County News store with a knife and demanded money from the till but was foiled when an employee recognised him as a regular customer who lived across the street and he left in tears with just a packet of cigarettes and a lighter.
Murder threat
A Brechin “baldy” must complete unpaid work after leaving a murder threat on a colleague’s phone.
Aaron Nicol appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court to be sentenced after admitting sending the “grossly offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing” message.
Fiscal depute Elizabeth Hodgson explained that on September 8 last year, Nicol’s victim – a colleague at a slaughterhouse – spotted him in a Brechin pub.
In a “friendly and joking manner,” the man said to Nicol: “What you saying, baldy?”
Nicol did not respond and the man thought his jovial remark had not been heard.
But when he woke up the next morning, Nicol had left a voicemail in which he’d stated: “Next time you’re on your own, you’re getting murdered.”
At the time of the offence, he was on bail orders from Perth and Forfar Sheriff Courts.
Solicitor Billy Rennie said the incident was “one-off” and “spur of the moment.”
32-year-old Nicol, of Bridge Street in Brechin, was ordered to complete 110 hours of unpaid work in nine months by Sheriff Derek Reekie as a direct alternative to imprisonment.
The sheriff said: “You’ve got a pretty horrible-looking record, I must say.”
Creepy coach driver
A creepy bus driver from Dundee has been ordered to perform unpaid work after engaging in sexual activity with a child while behind the wheel. Christopher McIntosh brought a 15-year-old girl into the cab of his bus as he drove through Fife.
Hospital mayhem
Drunken lout Peter Collins, who caused “mayhem” at Perth Royal Infirmary, has been placed on a tag.
The 30-year-old appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted threatening and abusive behaviour at the hospital’s A&E unit on September 8 last year.
Police and paramedics received reports about Collins’ “intoxication” at about 5.30pm and he was traced and taken to PRI where he dozed off until woken by a nurse.
Fiscal depute Stephanie Paterson said: “He became instantly agitated and began shouting and swearing.
“He acted in an aggressive manner to nurses collectively.”
Collins stormed out of his room and started punching walls, while continuing to rant at staff, who activated panic buttons.
Collins was placed in a private room but staff could hear him throwing and smashing items inside.
Solicitor David Holmes said his client had been undergoing difficulties and had been badly hit by a bereavement.
“He had taken alcohol and he didn’t know what he was doing at all He apologises to the NHS workers for the trouble he caused.”
Sheriff William Wood told Collins: “I have given some serious thought as to whether you ought to be spending some time in prison.
“The hospital would have been busy enough without you causing this kind of mayhem.”
Collins, of Menzies Court, Perth, was placed on a 12-week restriction of liberty order as a direct alternative to custody.
Pub punch
A Fife thug broke a female pub singer’s nose with a punch at a Cowdenbeath pub. Drunken Aaron Kyle was being escorted out of Partners bar in the town’s high street when he lashed out and struck the woman in the face.
Sweaty struggle
Police officers were attacked by a man “saturated with sweat” during a disturbance at a Perth McDonald’s.
The city’s sheriff court heard Aiden Ruddy, 23, was the only customer when he entered the 24-hour diner on Dunkeld Road at around 4am on February 13 2023.
Fiscal depute Stephanie Paterson said police had cause to attend and Ruddy became obstructive when approached.
“He was saturated with sweat.
“He was tensing his body as police attempted to place him in handcuffs.
“As he was led out in front of the locus, he attempted to bite one officer on the arm and the other on the hand.”
Ruddy, of Iona Court, Perth, was restrained on the ground.
Solicitor David Holmes admitted his client had a bad record but said he was a suitable candidate for the Right Track programme for young offenders and sentence was deferred until November 5.
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