A fencer who threatened to put a hole in his Forfar son-in-law’s head has been jailed for four months.
John MacPhee, 41, appeared from custody at Forfar Sheriff Court to admit sending messages which were grossly offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing.
MacPhee, of Glencoe, admitted sending the concerning voice messages on Facebook Messenger to his daughter’s husband between August 31 and September 6 last year.
In the messages, he called the man a paedophile and threatened him.
Solicitor Nick Whelan explained the hole in the head remark related to a pyramid ring his client wore.
He said: “He was not too keen on the complainer and the way he treated his daughter. Matters came to a head.
“There was no intention to carry out these ill-thought-out threats.”
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael backdated MacPhee’s sentence to September 16 when he was first remanded.
Life for murdering rapists
Two men who raped and murdered a young dad-of-four in Fife have been sentenced to life imprisonment. Cameron Allan and Dylan Brister were sentenced at the High Court in Dundee after each being convicted of the rape and murder of Calum Simpson. They will serve at least 19 and 23 years, respectively.
Prison wraps
A convicted drug dealer was caught with seven wraps of cocaine in his cell at Perth Prison.
Hassan Muwanga was jailed in March for his third drug supply conviction, having been previously jailed for selling drugs to schoolchildren in 2016.
The 37-year-old returned to Perth Sheriff Court and admitted possessing the class A drug behind bars on February 2 2024, while he was on remand awaiting sentence.
Prosecutor Elizabeth Hodgson said guards carried out a routine search and asked Muwanga if he had any illicit items.
He handed over 10.5g of cocaine, divided into multiple wraps.
Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said Muwanga had made positive changes since he was released back into the community.
Sheriff Jennifer Bain told Muwanga: “You have demonstrated that you can make positive changes in your life and you have shown remorse for your actions.”
Muwanga, of Dunkeld Road, Perth, was placed on a restriction of liberty curfew for 11 weeks.
Murdered older man
A violent offender is facing a life sentence after murdering a man in a remorseless attack in the Fife village of Oakley. Christopher Brown, 36, attacked Henry White, repeatedly hitting the older man with his elbow, punching and kneeing him, then dragging him outside and abandoning him in March last year.
Sentenced for break-ins
A thief caught on camera stealing a till from a fish and chip shop has been placed on supervision.
Rowan Connor later smashed his way into a pub.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told previously how Connor was seen running with the till – containing only around £3 in coppers – from the Golden Haddock on High Street, Arbroath, by a member of the public before being identified through a Ring doorbell.
The till was found in a nearby alley.
Almost a week later, Connor was captured on CCTV forcing entry to The Old Brewhouse, smashing a window before trying to prise open the cash register drawer but left empty-handed.
He also admitted stealing electric toothbrushes from Superdrug and pushing a staff member.
Connor, a prisoner at HMP Glenochil, committed the offences in Arbroath between January 21 and 27.
Sentencing, Sheriff George Way made Connor subject to social work supervision for two years, including engagement with the learning disability support team and Angus Council’s integrated drug and alcohol service and only staying in approved accommodation.
Sheriff Way told Connor: “There is, however, a sting in the tail – you have to hear it so that you are not deceived in any way.
“You can be brought back if you do not comply with the supervision requirements.
“If you are brought back you stand to get a significant custodial sentence.”
Rugby tackled
A Perthshire rugby player viciously attacked a teammate during post-match drinks and left his ankle facing in a “very unnatural position,” a court has heard. When Blairgowrie RFC star Calum Thom rugby-tackled new start Neil Forsyth to the ground, onlookers thought it was just “rugby club theatrics” but the mood turned to horror as Thom repeatedly rained down blows.
Threw watermelon
Collins Oko, 25, admitted brandishing a broken bottle and throwing a watermelon during a chaotic incident in a takeaway in Pitlochry.
He spat at two police officers and tried to bite them after being taken to Dundee following his arrest.
The city’s sheriff court heard how Oko, an asylum seeker, is now at risk of being deported.
Prosecutor Emma Farmer described how Oko approached a mum and her youngster in the Kahn Babas and offered to pay for a sweet for the child but erupted after being refused.
“He was shouting and swearing somewhat incoherently and left the store and ran off along the main road.
“Approximately five minutes later, he reappeared carrying a beer bottle and struck that off the shop door, smashing a window pane of glass within the door.
“He picked up a watermelon from a display stand and threw it onto the floor, smashing it.”
After being asked to calm down, Oko picked up the broken bottle and threatened a shop worker, saying: “I’m going to hurt you.”
Police arrived and Oko was still outside the Atholl Street shop holding a piece of the broken bottle.
Ms Farmer added: “He was instructed to drop it several times and was not responding.
“He began to act erratically, refusing to engage.”
Oko was eventually restrained and arrested, before spitting at officers and trying to bite them.
He pled guilty to committing the August 17 2021 offences and failing to appear at Perth Sheriff Court before being remanded in custody.
The case against Oko had encountered numerous delays due to difficulties in obtaining legal representation and his ability to travel to Perth.
Solicitor Jim Caird said Oko was originally from the London area and suffered from schizophrenia.
He said: “He certainly regrets his behaviour and seems to have lost his temper.
“He suspects he was having difficulties with his mental health on this particular day.”
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael deferred sentence until next month for a social work report to be prepared.
‘Animalistic noises’
A Fife pensioner was caught on camera 49 times in a month walking past a neighbour’s home making “sexualised gestures” and “animalistic noises” with his “fingers in his mouth”. Christopher Tognarelli, 77, was sentenced for stalking.
‘Last chance’
A man who battered a 15-year-old girl when he was 17, four months after assaulting a police officer in the street, has been handed 130 hours of unpaid work.
Lewis Clay, now 20, began punching the girl in the head and face as she sat on a bench at Silversands beach, Aberdour, after an earlier altercation between the pair.
Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard some of the March 19 2021 attack was captured on a mobile phone.
Prosecutor Eve McKaig said about 30 youths had gathered at the beauty spot that afternoon and some, including Clay, were drinking alcohol.
The victim suffered two small cuts to her left eye, bruising and swelling and possible concussion.
The court also heard that on November 27 2020 Clay, then 16, pushed a police officer in the face, causing him to fall, outside a bar in Pilmuir Street, Dunfermline.
Officers had stopped after seeing Clay and other youths drinking alcohol.
Clay, of Whinnyburn Place, Rosyth, earlier pled guilty to the two assaults to injury and reappeared in the dock this week.
He had previously been given unpaid work and offender supervision for assaulting the police officer and Sheriff Krista Johnston said he has “spectacularly failed to do anything” in terms of his previous orders and has “done nothing” of the unpaid work.
She said: “You are on your last chance”.
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