A repeat sex offender caught sending lewd messages to a decoy has been locked up.
Convicted child groomer Darren Whyte was previously granted bail after having sexual conversations with a person he thought was underage.
He is now remanded in custody after he repeatedly brought illegal mobile phones into a police office.
The sheriff who revoked Whyte’s bail is now investigating whether to make him subject to an order designed to protect the public from his deviant behaviour.
Dundee Sheriff Court previously heard how Whyte messaged a profile of a “13-year-old” on social media from his former home in Crossgate, Cupar, including offering to pay £15 for an explicit picture in October last year.
In May this year, he was caught in homeless accommodation with a mobile phone, breaching his bail conditions.
Whyte had been living in a hotel in Aberdeen and with a relative in Dunbar but according to solicitor David Bell, he deliberately tried to be taken into custody in Edinburgh.
Mr Bell said: “Things are now even more of a mess than they were previously.
“He twice walked into a police station with a device and said ‘I’m not meant to have one of these’ and he didn’t have anywhere else to stay.
“He has actually kept in touch with the social work department and has been to see the police, not only about the phone but to tell them where he’s staying.
“It’s an unusual set of circumstances.”
Sheriff Paul Brown deferred sentence until next month and revoked Whyte’s bail in relation to the Dundee case.
Assaulted sleeping woman
A man has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a sleeping woman at a Perth house party. Hardware technician Junaid Akram, 38, forced himself on his victim as she dozed on his couch. He will be sentenced late.
False theft claim
A Stirling man falsely reported his work van as stolen after a 2am police pursuit in the city.
Steven Taylor, 34, of Anderson Place, appeared at Stirling Sheriff Court to be sentenced after admitting careless driving and attempting to pervert the course of justice in the early hours of August 29 last year on Shirra’s Brae Road.
He stopped in the overtaking lane of 50mph Burghmuir Road when it was unsafe to do so, as though waiting to see where police officers behind him would head, then accelerated harshly.
Taylor failed to stop for police when instructed to and then while being pursued, swerved aggressively.
Shortly afterwards, he reported his van as stolen, knowing it had not been.
Solicitor Frazer McCready said: “With his record, custody requires to be considered.
“He has been in custody in the past but not for some considerable time.
“He was clearly keeping bad company at the time. He’s not employed now, he’s at college full time.”
Sheriff Keith O’Mahoney imposed nine penalty points and placed Taylor under supervision for 18 months, with an order to carry out 210 hours of unpaid work.
The sheriff said: “By the sounds of it, you’re a man who’s now trying to do something with his life.
“Because you are engaging with education, I’m not going to impose custody.”
OxyContin scare
A driver caught with five times the legal limit of cannabis in his system had started using the illegal drug in place of his prescription OxyContin medication after watching a Netflix show. Kevan Coventry had been prescribed opiates following an injury to his hand but after watching the drama about the origins of the US opioid crisis and the increased use of OxyContin, he decided to seek alternative treatment.
Building boss drink-drive
Construction boss Ross Corcoran from Dunblane has been banned from the road after being caught drink-driving.
He appeared at Stirling Sheriff Court to admit driving with excess alcohol (36mics/ 22) on the town’s Perth Road on the morning of February 12 last year.
The 31-year-old’s solicitor Michael Poggi said: “He is a business development director for a construction company in Blantyre.
“That’s going to have a significant impact on him commuting to work.
“He’d taken the car to the pub, anticipating not drinking. Unfortunately, he elected to drive.”
Sheriff Mark O’Hanlon disqualified Corcoran for a year and fined him £1,040.
Child killer’s rage
Convicted child killer Luke Pirie sent a menacing voicemail to his partner’s sister, threatening to “smash her f***ing face in” in August this year. The 31-year-old was jailed in 2017 for killing two-year-old Harlow Edwards as he sped through Coupar Angus. At the time, the court heard how before the collision, he had sent off a string of angry texts and made phone calls to his then-girlfriend.
Admonished
A thief who raided a Kinross hotel and stole a computer screen and a mini-fridge has escaped further punishment.
Finlay Anderson, 21, was caught by police on the roof of the Green Hotel.
He immediately surrendered and handed over two large bunches of keys, two bank cards and a bag of coins.
Anderson, of Kinross, was placed on a project aimed at rehabilitating young offenders when he appeared for sentencing at Perth Sheriff Court in July.
The court heard he had engaged with the Right Track programme and had found work.
Solicitor Linda Clark said the drunken break-in had been a “one-off incident”.
Anderson was admonished by Sheriff Jennifer Bain KC.
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