A mother and son wound up in the dock after a 12-year-old was injured and racially abused at an Angus school.
A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court to admit assaulting the boy in August 2023.
The teenager grabbed him by the clothing, lifted him and threw him to the ground, leaving the boy injured.
The attacker’s mother, 34, appeared in the dock alongside him to admit acting in a racially-aggravated manner towards the same boy during the incident.
She admitted shouting racial remarks and comments.
Sheriff Derek Reekie deferred sentencing until February 13 so reports can be prepared on the first offenders
Stealthing rapist jailed
A rapist from Dundee who subjected one of his victims to a sickening “stealthing” attack has been jailed for more than six years. Andrew Waghorn, 31, was having consensual sex with his victim at a hotel in Dundee in early 2020, then removed his condom without her knowledge and raped her. He also raped a second woman at a hotel in Fife.
More time to pay
A disgraced Dundee youth worker who embezzled more than £2,000 from a children’s charity has been given more time to complete his community payback order.
Gary Moore used a debit card linked to the Children and Youth Activity Group, based in Coupar Angus, to withdraw large sums of cash.
Police were called after Moore failed to produce receipts, despite promising to do so.
Perth Sheriff Court was told last year how he also stole a PlayStation 4 games console from the charity.
Moore, formerly of Clepington Road, admitted embezzling £2,050 between January 10 and February 10 2022.
In March 2024, Sheriff Paul Brown sentenced him to 200 hours of unpaid work and a compensation order.
However, Moore – who was struck-off from the social care register – returned to the dock to ask for an extension to the community payback order.
Solicitor Mike Short said: “He lost his job, he lost his home, he lost his partner and he’s trying to deal with his mental health problems.
“He’s went from being someone who led a standard life and now has to live with friends.
“He understands he must pay his compensation but he’s way behind on that.
“The unpaid work he knows is difficult and understands it’s part of the punishment.”
Sheriff Clair McLachlan agreed to extend the order and Moore’s time to pay the compensation by seven months.
Pizza parlour pervert
A former Perth Domino’s pizza shop manager who groomed three teenage girls and persuaded them to send him naked selfies has been spared jail. Lewis McConnell, 27, from Dundee, asked his young victims for sexual photographs in exchange for helping them get alcohol.
Trashed house
A drunken Dundonian has been locked up after trashing his mum’s Alyth home after she picked him up at 4am on New Year’s Day.
Jason O’Neil, of Whitfield Gardens in Dundee, appeared from custody at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted acting in a threatening or abusive manner in the early hours of January 1.
Prosecutor Alan Bell explained O’Neil’s mother collected him from Ann Street and drove him to her home in Alyth, at 4.10am.
He explained the woman went to the bathroom and heard household items being thrown around and smashed.
She fled in her vehicle and when police arrived, O’Neil told them: “I didn’t assault her but I trashed the house, obviously.”
While officers were taking O’Neil to West Bell Street HQ, he told them: “Good luck when we get to Dundee. Check my records, I’ve been done with police assault before.”
Solicitor Scott Mackie explained his client has been at liberty for eight months but had returned to drinking following family bereavements.
He said: “He accepts that he threatened police and that is completely unacceptable.”
Sentencing was deferred until January 29 for reports and 30-year-old O’Neil was remanded.
He said: “I understand that you have been staying out of bother. If this is a turning point, let’s try and support that.”
Killer driver jailed
A killer driver whose speeding caused the deaths of a holidaying Fife couple in a horrific head-on smash has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years.
George Murphy, 55, caused the crash after overtaking three vehicles and then trying to get past a bus on the A85 in Argyll on March 31 2023.
Martin and Josephine Cousland, from Anstruther, died in the collision and Murphy’s two sons – passengers in his Ford Mondeo – were also badly hurt.
Murphy – who already had a history of road traffic offences – pled guilty to causing the deaths and serious injury by dangerous driving.
Reckless conduct
A Kirriemuir woman must meet with social workers after admitting offences towards two young children.
Jacqueline Neill, 27, appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court to admit culpable and reckless conduct towards the youngsters and causing them to be exposed to risk of unnecessary suffering or injury.
On a date in 2023, Neill admitted she culpably and recklessly seized the children by the body within a property in Kirriemuir.
On the same day, she allowed them within a property which was cluttered and unkempt and failed to provide safe and healthy conditions.
There was an overflowing cat tray within their reach.
Sheriff Derek Reekie deferred sentencing on the first offender until February 13 for her to meet with social workers, saying: “The circumstances obviously are very difficult.”
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