A disqualified driver who caused a three-car shunt was on the hunt for a drug fix.
Police later traced Scott Tribe, 34, from Kinghorn with cocaine in his possession.
Fiscal depute Matthew Knapp told Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court: “The witness was within his home address when he heard a bang and went outside to see what the noise was.
“He saw Mr Tribe’s vehicle, which had crashed into the back of his Volvo.
“The witness saw Mr Tribe pull something off his vehicle, get back inside his own car and try to move the car.”
The impact had caused the parked Volvo to hit a third car, denting it.
Solicitor David Bell, defending, said: “He was out searching for drugs for his addiction. He gave his details and then left the scene.”
Tribe, of Strathmore Street, admitted cocaine possession and driving dangerously, without insurance and while disqualified on Mid Road, Kinghorn on February 16 2025.
Sheriff Mark Allen placed him on a 12-month supervision order with a condition he undertake drug addiction counselling.
He also imposed a restriction of liberty order for four months and disqualified Tribe from driving for four years.
Breached immediately
A vile Arbroath paedophile was caught with more than 900 child abuse files on his phone when he was probed for breaching online restrictions days after his release from jail. Christopher Sloan will be jailed again after police probing an illicit online chat uncovered the stash of recently downloaded filth.
Bespoke non-harassment order
A 28-year-old who smashed his ex-partner’s window with a child’s bike in a drunken rage will be monitored closely for the next three months.
In 2021, Paul Boyack was jailed for 25 months for repeatedly punching the same woman in the face and leaving her severely injured.
A non-harassment order (NHO) was a month shy of expiring when he went berserk at an address in Mill O’Mains.
The city’s sheriff court heard how the woman was out drinking with friends on June 1 when she came across Boyack, with whom she was on good terms and believed was no longer subject to the NHO.
They went to another person’s home but Boyack suddenly became verbally abusive at around 4am and was asked to leave.
Fiscal depute Duncan MacKenzie said: “They complainer and another witness fled to the complainer’s address.
“At around 6.30am, the accused returned in possession of a child’s bike and was seen on Ring doorbell footage holding it and throwing it at the living room window, smashing it.”
Scaffolder Boyack repeatedly banged on the front door and shouted through the letterbox and was arrested by police in the back garden. He lashed out at an officer.
The court was told how Boyack’s former partner had refused to engage with prosecutors and wrote an email asking them to “drop all the charges”.
Previous domestic offender Boyack, who had been remanded at HMP Perth, pled guilty to domestic abuse and vandalism offences.
Sheriff Gregor Murray said he would have been entitled to jail Boyack but had a more stringent plan in mind – he was released from remand and placed on bail as part of a high-tariff structured deferred sentence.
He was also made subject to a “bespoke” NHO for five years, which allows for contact between them but Boyack must not “molest”, verbally abuse or physically assault the woman or behave in a manner that would cause her to suffer fear, alarm or distress.
£1 pay-back
A Halfords shop boss who embezzled £90,000 from bosses in a crooked cashing-up scam in Perth has been ordered to pay back just £1 under proceeds of crime legislation. Gary Ridgewell pocketed money from the till while he was manager of the retail giant’s St Catherine’s Retail Park store.
‘I’ve f***ed up’
A Kirkcaldy man caught after drink-driving told police “I’ve f***ed up”.
Benjamin Crombie‘s vehicle was abandoned near the town’s railway station and police later found the 37-year-old at his home address, where he failed a breath test.
Fiscal depute Matthew Knapp told Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court a witness first saw Crombie standing near his damaged vehicle at 10.10pm on February 16 2025 at the junction of Forth Avenue and Abbottshall Road.
He asked for a tow rope and said he was intoxicated so the witness went to inform police.
Mr Knapp said: “There was damage to railings around 10 metres from where Mr Crombie‘s car was and the believed Mr Crombie‘s car had caused that.
“They made contact and he stated ‘I’ve fucked up’. He admitted crashing his car and apologised for drink-driving.
“Police noted he was visibly under the influence of alcohol – he was unsteady on his feet, his speech was slurred and he smelled of alcohol.”
Solicitor Martin Maguire, defending, said Crombie had had difficulties in his personal life that had led to him drinking heavily and on the day in question he went for a drive due to his “low mood”.
Crombie, of Blackcraigs was banned for 16 months and fined £400.
Trailblazing sheriff
A trailblazing Dundee sheriff has broken new ground for the UK justice system by presiding over a criminal jury trial while using a synthetic voice. Sheriff Alastair Carmichael is believed to be the first judge in Britain – possibly the world – to achieve such a feat. The veteran lawman lives with motor neurone disease (MND) and uses technology to help continue in his role at Dundee Sheriff Court.
Tesco attack
A man was kicked in the head during an attack outside a Dunfermline Tesco.
Reece McKendrick, 21, assaulted his victim near a bus stop at the Winterthur Lane store in the city centre on July 31 last year.
McKendrick, of Cairnwell Place, Kirkcaldy, appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court for sentencing after earlier pleading guilty to assault to injury.
He admitted punching the man on the head and body repeatedly, causing him to fall to the ground, where he repeatedly kicked his head.
The court heard the man and others had just left Tesco when McKendrick shouted towards him at around 6pm.
Prosecutor Rebecca Coakley said McKendrick approached and punched his nose and hit him to the face and chest “multiple times”.
This caused the man to fall back and hit his head on the ground.
Ms Coakley said: “He proceeded to kick (the man) to the head. He tried to block the kicks by curling up”.
A passer-by intervened and held McKendrick back to prevent further damage.
The incident was reported to police and an ambulance was contacted over concerns about a bump to the back of the man’s head but he refused to go to hospital.
He later reported his nose had been left swollen and crooked.
Defence lawyer Alexander Flett said there had been an issue between McKendrick’s partner and the man before the chance encounter.
He said his client’s mental health was poor at the time and he was given medications which might explain his out-of-character actions.
Sheriff Paul Ralph noted McKendrick’s lack of previous convictions and age and gave him 120 hours of unpaid work and one year of offender supervision as part of a community payback order.
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