A teenager who torched a caravan in Fife told a friend he “wanted to start a fire” before the blaze.
Steven Angel was 18 when he left the caravan a burned-out shell in May 23 2022 on Methil’s Sea Road next to second hand store Home Treasures.
The fire was noticed by a gas engineer working nearby at about 8.20pm.
A prosecutor told Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court he had noticed Angel and another person at the site and “heard what sounded like items being smashed.
“About five minutes later he heard a loud bang and realised the caravan was on fire.”
He called 999 and “by the time the fire crews arrived the caravan was fully in engulfed in flames, with smoke billowing out of the caravan.
“The fire was extinguished and the caravan was completely completely burned out.”
She said CCTV confirmed Angel was the culprit.
Solicitor Martin Maguire said his client has moved to Kilmarnock to turn his life around.
Sheriff James Williamson warned the now-20-year-old he could have been jailed but instead ordered him to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and placed him under supervision for a year.
House smash
A teenage driver smashed his BMW into a Kirkcaldy house and caused thousands of pounds worth of damage. Norman Young fled the scene after crashing the BMW X5 into a property in Clarimalt Drive on April 25 2022.
Littering row
A Blairgowrie man who slapped a child in a row over a chocolate bar wrapper has been fined £330.
Drunken David Niven assaulted the 13-year-old boy after seeing him littering outside his Bank Street home on April 26.
“Mr Niven took umbrage to this,” fiscal depute Duncan McKenzie told Perth Sheriff Court.
“He picked up the chocolate wrapper and shoved it inside the complainer’s jumper.
“He then slapped him on the face.”
The court heard Niven, 53, called police when the youngster and members of his family turned up on his doorstep but became hostile when they slapped handcuffs on him.
As was being placed in the police van, he kicked out at one of the officers.
After he pled guilty to two counts of assault, Niven’s solicitor Jamie Baxter said: “He felt like he was being treated like an accused person and at that stage did not consider that he had done anything wrong.
“He does accept that he was out of order.”
Sheriff Clair McLachlan told him: “You are old enough and experienced enough to know that this behaviour was completely unacceptable. You have shown remorse and pled guilty at the first opportunity.”
Summary justice
A Forfar man has been fined after leaving a drunken car vandal with black eyes. Craig Hughes got into a fight with violent offender Adam Shaw on Castle Street after finding out the teenager had repeatedly booted the car, causing £1600 of damage. Shaw had earlier been fined for his role in the incident.
‘Should clearly know better’
A man has been placed on a curfew after losing the rag when his partner refused to drink with him at Stirling’s Beefeater restaurant.
Stirling Sheriff Court heard Derek McNally “abruptly” left the restaurant on April 26 this year and his partner found him outside her city flat and allowed him entry on the agreement they would simply go to bed.
But inside, McNally, of Hillcrest Avenue in Cumbernauld, kicked off and in court, pled guilty to a domestically-aggravated charge of threatening or abusive behaviour.
The 40-year-old admitted he shouted, swore, acted aggressively and repeatedly kicked walls at the woman’s home in Johnstone Avenue, Stirling.
Solicitor Frazer McCready said: “He should clearly know better – I’ve told him that.
“He tells me he’s sorry. He really needs to deal with his drinking.”
Sheriff Mark O’Hanlon criticised McNally for his “attitude to the offence” and “victim-blaming” in the social work report.
He imposed 12 months of supervision and a 7pm to 7am curfew lasting 81 days.
Honey thief
Thief Shaun Kirwin‘s ill-gained goods included a charity collection and a stash of high-end honey, Stirling Sheriff Court heard. He lifted the collection tin from the Tesco in Dunblane and raided Holland & Barrett in the Thistle Centre for the luxury spread.
Scissor-stab threat
A 35-year-old man brandished a pair of scissors while threatening to stab two men at a property in Methil.
Tommy Braithwaite appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court by video link to prison to admit behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at an address in Den Walk on July 24 this year.
Prosecutor Ronnie Hay told the court one of the victims was outside the property at around 9.30am when he saw Braithwaite walking past with a head injury.
Asked what had happened, Braithwaite said someone had struck him with an axe.
The man took him in to clean him up and Braithwaite, who appeared under the influence, fell asleep on the couch.
When he woke up he repeatedly accused the men of stealing his phone, which they denied.
Braithwaite picked up a pair of scissors and pointed the blades towards one of the men, demanding his phone back.
He said: “If you don’t get my phone back I will stab the f**k out of you”.
Defence lawyer Adam Scott said his client had taken a number of Valium on the day.
Sheriff Robert More jailed him for six months, backdated to July 25.
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