A Forfar motorist was caught flouting a three-year driving ban just five days after it was imposed to nip to the supermarket.
Drinkd-river Steven Mitchell crashed his flatbed van while almost five times over the limit outside his home on Lordburn Place on July 25 this year.
At Forfar Sheriff Court on August 13, he was banned from the road for three years.
However, Mitchell, 39, appeared back in the dock to admit driving to Asda in Forfar just five days later.
Solicitor Sarah Russo said her client “gave in to temptation.”
Mitchell was placed under supervision for a year, given six penalty points and ordered to complete 130 hours of unpaid work.
Murder trial begins
The trial of a man accused of murdering Cameron Rae in Perth has begun at the High Court in Edinburgh. Caleb Ferguson is alleged to have stabbed 20-year-old Mr Rae to death last April. On the first day of evidence, the court heard Ferguson made a panicked phone call, saying “I’m f***ed, I’m going to prison” as he fled the flat where Mr Rae was later found with three stab wounds.
Drill thief
A thief who stole hundreds of pounds worth of tools after breaking into B&Q in Dundee has been locked up ahead of sentencing.
Barry Davies, 43, forced his way into the King’s Cross Road store after smashing a glass window.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard how previous offender Davies made off with drills worth £200 and £260 worth of saws.
Davies was eventually snared by police and pled guilty when he appeared from custody at Dundee Sheriff Court.
The Pitalpin Court man pled guilty to stealing the tools on various occasions between September 18 and 19 this year.
Sheriff Paul Brown deferred sentence on Davies until next month and remanded him in custody meantime.
Cannabis farmers came on small boats
A pair of “small boat” illegal immigrants found in Dundee operating one of the biggest cannabis farms uncovered in Scotland have been jailed for more than seven years. Adiol Hila and Indrit Saraci were caught red-handed running a large-scale drugs factory in a disused garage where the crop had a potential value of nearly £1.7 million.
16 times drug-drive limit
A Forfar plumber has been banned from driving after being caught slumped at the wheel while 16 times over the drug-drive limit.
Craig Mitchell, 32, of Grampian Park in Forfar, previously admitted driving with excess (800mics/ 50) cocaine metabolite, benzoylecgonine.
On July 18 last year, Mitchell was spotted by a concerned member of the public in his works van.
At Forfar Sheriff Court, solicitor Sarah Russo said: “Effectively, his life was chaotic.
“He does now appear to be focused.”
Sheriff Clair McLachlan banned Mitchell from driving for four years and placed him on a restriction of liberty order keeping him indoors between 9pm and 6am for six months.
Battered sex offender
A sex offender was left permanently disfigured after a “ruthless”, hour-long attack in a Fife flat. George Kane pounced on his victim when he revealed he served time in prison for sexual offending.
Death in prison
A probe will take place following the death of a prisoner in HMP Perth.
The Scottish Prison Service confirmed Martin Blake, 52, died while in custody at the Edinburgh Road jail on 18 September this year.
An SPS spokesperson said: “Every death, whether in prison custody or in our communities, is a tragedy for all those who knew and supported the individual.
“Following the death of someone in our care, Police Scotland are advised, and the matter reported to the Procurator Fiscal.
“Fatal Accident Inquiries are held in due course.”
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