A career criminal is back behind bars after three armed raids on shops.
James Donoghue, 43, carried out two of the crimes just a week after he had been freed early from prison.
He first struck at the Greens Local store in Albert Street, Dundee, at around 9.30pm on November 28 2023.
A security guard caught him trying to steal steaks, which he returned before claiming he was going to pay for other groceries.
Staff shut the doors to stop Donoghue and an accomplice leaving, at which the thug pulled out a knife, before fleeing, prosecutor Bill McVicar told the High Court in Glasgow.
He returned last July 2 – while on early release for offences including assault – and tried to buy a bottle of alcopop.
He walked up to the till, brandished a knife at a female worker and shouted: “Open the f***ing till or I will stab you”.
He also warned her not to press a panic alarm but she did and he fled empty-handed.
Later that morning, Donoghue targeted SK News in King Street, demanding money while armed with a screwdriver.
He yanked open the till and stuffed cash into a plastic bag, before snatching around 70 e-cigarettes.
The terrified worker had been on the phone to her partner at the time and he heard her “screaming and frightened”.
Donoghue was traced by police elsewhere in Dundee, sitting on a box, counting money.
His loot was worth around £200.
The court heard Donoghue ended up in hospital the same day and spat at police.
He pled guilty to two charges of robbery and another of attempted robbery and further admitted behaving in a threatening and abusive manner.
Donoghue already had three high court convictions in a lengthy criminal record including jail-terms for violence and robbery.
Lord Colbeck remanded him in custody and sentencing was deferred for reports.
Fake police chase
A convicted child sex offender ordered a pregnant woman to stop on a motorway using a flashing orange light on his dashboard and told her he was a military police officer, a court has heard. Sinister Sidney McLagan pursued the 29-year-old down the M90 and flashed his full beam headlights at her until she pulled over.
Footsie £500
A Dundee man who used his foot to stroke a woman’s leg on a train must pay her compensation.
Nathan Dunlop appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court and admitted acting in a threatening or abusive manner, having originally been accused of sexually assaulting the woman.
He targeted the woman on a train between Glasgow Queen Street and Dundee on September 28 last year.
Dunlop, of Melrose Court, admitted repeatedly touching the woman’s foot and leg and using his foot to stroke her leg.
He admitted this conduct would be likely to cause a reasonable person fear or alarm.
Sheriff John Rafferty ordered Dunlop, 35, to pay £500 compensation to the woman within the next 28 days.
Lifelong sentence possible
A paedophile from Dundee, who was once a suspect in an unsolved murder, could receive a life sentence. James Donaldson, 59, was found guilty of four serious sexual charges after a trial at the High Court and an assessment for a lifelong restriction order is being undertaken before sentencing.
Violent outburst
A 36-year-old man who dragged his partner by the hair, kicked her in the ribs and punched her in the head, has been jailed for 22 months.
James McDonagh‘s violent outburst took place after his victim had earlier hugged a male friend, Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard.
McDonagh, 36, pled guilty to assault to injury and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at an address in Glenrothes on July 31 last year.
Prosecutor Ronnie Hay said that during the violent dispute, McDonagh grabbed the woman by the hair and shouted: “I’m going to jail and going to hurt you.”
He dragged her through the living room by the hair as she shouted to a witness to call police.
He threw her on the floor and kicked her ribs and punched her head.
A doctor examined the woman at hospital and she was found to have multiple bruises to her chest.
Defence lawyer Yvonne McKenna said there it was “not just she hugged someone on this particular night” but there had been other matters and both parties had been drinking.
The lawyer acknowledged McDonagh has a history of domestic incidents all relating to the same woman. His last domestic incident dates back to 2015.
Copper tank thefts
A gas engineer was caught red-handed stealing copper tanks from houses in Dundee as police investigated break-ins to 21 homes in the same street. Ross Pettigrew entered homes and smashed through walls to get his hands on the water tanks, which could be re-sold for £200 each.
Milk Bar-ney
An “intoxicated” motorist caused panic on the A90 and was blocked in by a concerned citizen at the Horn Milk Bar.
James Gauld, 51, forced other drivers to swerve out of his way as he weaved down the Dundee to Perth road on February 21 2023.
Prosecutor Lissie Cooke told Perth Sheriff Court Gauld was driving towards Perth at about 5.30pm and pulled out of a layby at Longforgan when it was unsafe, forcing another vehicle to sweve.
Weaving and causing traffic to avoid him, Gauld continued onto the Grange sliproad and came off the A90 into The Horn Milk Bar’s car park.
A concerned motorist positioned his car at the exit, blocking Gauld, and then stood in front of his car.
Ms Cooke said: “The accused drove towards the witness at a slow speed, while braking.”
Police arrived a short while later and he was “argumentative and hostile”, refusing to be breathalysed “until his solicitor was contacted” and then kneed an officer on the shin.
Gauld pled guilty to driving dangerously, police assault and refusing to provide specimens of breath.
Solicitor Bethany Downham, defending, said her client had been driving back from Aberdeen when he stopped for a drink with friends.
“He attempted to drive home but he pulled over into the layby.
“At this point, his recollection becomes hazy. He advises me that he was asleep in the car.”
Gauld, who lives with his parents at their pub, the Methven Arms Hotel, works in London but hopes to find employment in Scotland.
Sheriff Alison McKay said: “You have acknowledged yourself that this was an appalling piece of driving.
“The custody threshold has been well and truly crossed and I’m I can’t see a community-based alternative.”
Gauld, who has a previous conviction for drink-driving on the A90, was jailed for 145 days and banned from driving for a year.
For more local court content visit our page or join us on Facebook.
