A drunken thug who trashed his mum’s east Perthshire home after she picked him up from a 4am New Year party has been jailed – after a court heard neither of his parents would take him in.
Jason O’Neil pled guilty to acting in a threatening or abusive manner in the early hours of January 1.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard how the 30-year-old’s mother had collected him from Ann Street and drove him to her home in Alyth.
Prosecutor Alan Bell said O’Neil then began throwing and smashing items in the bathroom.
His mother fled in her car. When police arrived, O’Neil told them: “I didn’t assault her, but I trashed the house obviously.”
He added: “Good luck when we get to Dundee. Check my records. I’ve been done for police assault before.”
O’Neil was remanded when he appeared from custody earlier this month.
Solicitor Scott Mackie said his client had been out of jail for eight months, but turned to drink following bereavements.
O’Neil appeared at Perth Sheriff Court for sentencing this week.
Sheriff William Wood told him that he had “sabotaged” his chances of returning to his mother’s house.
And he said, according to a social work report, his father did not want him back either.
“The most pragmatic course is to impose another period of custody,” the sheriff said.
He added: “Hopefully this will be a reminder of what happens when you fall off the wagon.”
O’Neil, of Whitfield Gardens, Dundee, was jailed for four months.
Killer driver asks for ban to be lifted
A death-crash driver who killed a Dundee father-of-two has returned to court to ask for his driving licence back.
Kyle McLachlan was jailed and banned from the road in 2021 after he convicted of causing postal worker Scott Miller’s death by dangerous driving.
At the High Court in the Edinburgh, lawyers for the 24-year-old argued for his ban to be lifted, claiming his disqualification had led to arguments with his parents.
Judge Lord Mulholland, noting the accused’s “terrible driving record,” denied the application.
Dealer attacked girlfriend
A convicted drug dealer has been spared a prison sentence for repeatedly punching his former partner.
Scott McKenzie stood trial and was found guilty by a jury of a heavily reduced charge of domestic abuse.
He is now subject to stringent conduct requirements in order to protect future partners from similar abuse.
The 43-year-old denied the allegations against him but was convicted of repeatedly punching the woman on the head and body and repeatedly grabbing and pulling her on an occasion in 2022 at an address on Dundee’s Graham Street.
Rankine Street resident McKenzie was locked up in 2007 for drug dealing, Dundee Sheriff Court was told.
Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith imposed a community payback order as an alternative to custody.
McKenzie was placed on supervision for 12 months and made subject to a restriction of liberty order, designed to keep him indoors between 9pm and 7am for six months.
A five-year non-harassment order was also granted with the conduct requirements ordering McKenzie to provide the details of any new intimate relationships he forms.
Abducted pregnant woman
A pregnant woman was forced to flee a Dundee house barefoot after being held overnight at knifepoint.
The woman was dragged into the property and kept prisoner for nearly 12 hours.
Laurie Brown held a blade to her victim’s throat and stole her money, engagement ring and shoes.
The 37-year-old appeared at Edinburgh High Court and admitted, while acting with others, abducting and robbing the woman at her home in the city’s Keswick Terrace on December 10 and 11 2021.
Beer garden assault
A 21-year-old Fife man who broke a pub-goer’s nose after punching him in a beer garden has been ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.
Lee Easton previously pled guilty to assaulting the man to his injury at The Kings in Kelty on April 21 last year.
Easton, of Carden Castle Park, Cardenden, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
Prosecutor Amy Robertson told the court earlier that Easton was at the pub around 1am when two bar workers were tending to a female who had fallen and cut her face.
Staff asked people crowding round to move back but Easton became agitated.
A customer touched Easton and said: “It’s alright pal, let’s just go and calm down”.
The fiscal depute continued: “The accused said ‘why the f**k are you telling me to calm down?’ before punching (the man) once to the left of the face, causing him to fall and hit his head on the ground”.
Easton left his victim with bruising, cuts and an injured nose.
He was taken to Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy and was found to have broken his nose.
Easton’s defence lawyer said prior to the assault, there was an incident involving someone else coming up to Easton and challenging him on why he was at the pub, where there was a birthday party happening, which is why he was agitated.
The solicitor highlighted a social work report saying Easton’s actions were fuelled by alcohol and suggested this was a one-off incident.
Sheriff Susan Duff said this does appear to be out of character but has to be marked as serious.
The sheriff gave him 150 hours of unpaid work to do within six months, as part of a community payback order.
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