An 87-year-old Kirkcaldy driver who ran over a 78-year-old woman, breaking two bones in her foot, will be banned from the road.
Octogenarian Mary Walker was not present at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court but wrote in pleading guilty to causing serious injury by driving without due care or attention.
She admitted that on September 21 last year, she failed to maintain adequate observations on Kirkcaldy High Street and failed to maintain proper control of her vehicle.
She collided with the pedestrian, causing “serious” injuries – two broken bones in her foot.
Sentencing was deferred until September 3 for Walker, of James Grove in Kirkcaldy, to be personally present.
The offence carries a mandatory driving ban of at least one year.
Dealers done
A pair of dealers have been sentenced following a seizure of illegal drugs worth nearly £1 million in Dundee and Monifieth. Brandon Hayter, 24, and David Henehan, 44, pled guilty to supplying illicit substances at the High Court in Glasgow.
‘Beacon of light’
A man who left his 72-year-old mother bloodied during a frenzied Hogmanay knife attack has been described as a “beacon of light” by an impressed sheriff.
Gary Brymer was ordered to perform 300 hours of unpaid work – the maximum number available – as a direct alternative to a jail term.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard how the alcohol-fuelled attack happened around an hour before the end of 2021.
The court was told how after attacking his mother, 49-year-old Brymer said in a text to his brother: “I’ve lost it. I’ve killed mum. Sorry.”
Police were contacted immediately and the woman was found with a cuts to her arm and hamstring, which each required two stitches.
The woman did not want her son charged and said he had “just lost the heid” after drinking.
Earlier this year, Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith imposed a 12-month community payback order which comprised of 300 hours of unpaid work, supervision and a requirement to undergo alcohol counselling.
Brymer returned to the dock on Tuesday for a hearing to review his progress.
Solicitor advocate Jim Laverty said Brymer had completed more than 130 hours of unpaid work within a three-month period.
Sheriff Niven-Smith described the progress report as “glowing” and said it was a “beacon of light in this court”.
He said: “It is always pleasing to see someone take the chance that they have been given and hopefully you can continue to turn your life around.”
Brymer thanked the sheriff after the order was allowed to continue with no further reviews.
Brymer was previously sentenced to five years in prison in 2011 for attempted murder.
Abuser jailed
Controlling abuser Josh McLean from Dundee, who threatened to kill his partner during a course of terrifying conduct, has been jailed. Among his crimes, he said he would set the woman’s car on fire and during an incident at a McDonald’s drive-thru, shunted her vehicle in a furious outburst.
3 kilos of cannabis
A cannabis farmer from Fife has been jailed for two years after his three-kilo stash was uncovered by police.
Officers serving a warrant needed to bring in a joiner to force entry to James Robertson‘s Macindoe Crescent home at 12.45am on July 27 2022.
They found Robertson asleep in the living room and 52 cannabis plants growing in another room.
In total, they yielded more than 3kg of cannabis and the haul was valued at between £21,200 and £34,440.
Previously at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court, Robertson admitted that between May and July of 2022, he produced and was concerned in the supply of the drug.
His solicitor Calum Harris said: “There’s no suggestion this was a commercial operation.
“He was using large amounts of cannabis himself, as were his friends.”
Computer expert paedo
A Fife paedophile who says he works in “freelance digital forensics” was caught with more than 140 indecent images of children. David Gordon, 57, of Leuchars, used specialist software to access abuse material online anonymously.
‘Don’t slash him’
Alan Beattie, 35, from Luncarty, has been jailed for nine months for his role in a brutal Perth assault.
The city’s sheriff court heard how the victim was jumped on when he arrived at Richard McIntosh’s flat in South Street on September 20 last year.
McIntosh grabbed him and put him in a headlock.
Alan Beattie, 35, was in the toilet when the scuffle broke out.
Stepping out, he ran over and began kicking and punching the visitor as he lay on the ground.
McIntosh robbed and presented a knife at him as a woman in the flat shouted: “Don’t slash him.”
The man escaped and went outside to call police.
Last month, McIntosh was jailed for his part in the attack, as well as a separate assault on rapist John Kinloch.
Beattie pled guilty to assault.
Solicitor Mike Tavendale, defending, said the victim had been Beattie’s flat mate and it was an “opportunistic” crime
He added: “This matter could safely be described as out of character. There was no serious injury to the complainer.”
Sheriff Alison McKay told Beattie he was “very lucky” his victim was not badly hurt.
Back behind bars
A serial sex offender from Burntisland is back behind bars after carrying out a campaign of salacious offending towards authority figures. Emma McIntyre, 56, is already on the sex offenders register and appeared back at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court to admit sexually-charged crimes against neighbours, a social worker, police and a prison officer.
Stole from sick mum
A Fife thief has admitted pocketing thousands of pounds from her own sick mum while she received treatment in hospital.
Tracy Fraser, of High Street in Leslie, was not present at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court when her case called.
However, the 47-year-old pled guilty by letter to stealing “a quantity of money” between February and August of 2023.
Fiscal depute Eve McKaig explained the sum of money involved was around £4,000.
She said: “Tracy Fraser is the daughter of (the complainer).
“The complainer has gone into hospital and during the period she is in hospital, the accused has used her bank card.”
Sheriff Neil Kinnear deferred sentencing until September 3 for first offender Fraser to be personally present.
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