Wednesday court round-up — Bum bite bid and £30k of coke

An Angus chef has been fined a total of £160 for brawling with a stranger outside a pub in Montrose.

Stephen Hart, 35, appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court to admit the assault on Hume Street on May 18 last year.

He repeatedly punched his victim – who remains unknown to authorities – on the head.

The chef, from Hill Street, Montrose, phoned police himself after being invited outside by his victim following an disagreement in The Picture House bar.

Officers reviewed CCTV and saw the assault.

Fiesta of crime

A car thief nicked 16 Ford Fiestas and eight other vehicles from across Fife and Tayside last year. Jordan Watson, 20, mainly targeted Fiestas but also stole a car transporter trailer – using a stolen Rover Freelander – and tools, registration plates and a quad bike in a seven-month crime spree from South Queensferry to Broughty Ferry.

Tried to bite PC’s behind

A Forfar woman must compensate a PC she tried to bite on the buttocks.

Amy Burns returned to the dock at Dundee Sheriff Court to be sentenced after
previously admitting assaulting PCs Stephen Adam, Craig Savage and Emma Price on March 24 this year.

After police were called to  Rewind nightclub on Dundee’s Seagate, Burns, 23, of Glenmoy Terrace, struck PC Adam on the head with her hand and kicked him on the body, injuring him.

She was taken to West Bell Street HQ where she continued to be violent.

Fiscal depute Sam Craib said: “The accused at one point attempted to bite Constable Savage’s buttocks.

“She was taken to the floor. She has then bitten Constable Savage’s hand.”

Burns also attempted to bite PC Price and scratched her.

As well as the three assaults, Burns admitted resisting obstructing or hindering police and acting in a threatening or abusive manner.

Her lawyer Alexandra Short said: “Unfortunately Ms Burns has had a relapse – she’s got a small record but all the offending is in relation to alcohol.

“She keeps herself to herself. She’s generally quite a sensible young lady.”

Sheriff Gregor Murray ordered Burns to pay each PC £100 compensation and complete 140 hours unpaid work.

The sheriff said: “I’d be perfectly entitled to send you to jail. If you offend again in this way, the court will have no alternative.

“This is a particularly bad example of how people behave towards officers who were simply trying to do their job.”

Speedy boxer

Commonwealth medallist boxer John Docherty from Montroses narrowly kept his driving licence after he was caught hurtling down the M90 at more than 100mph in an uninsured car. Docherty, who won bronze for Scotland in the 2018 Gold Coast games, appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted speeding through Kinross-shire in January.

Prison revolving door

Dundee drug addict Ryan Clark has been jailed for 272 days after admitting razor raids on Tesco.

HMP Perth inmate Clark, 38, previously admitted the thefts – carried out while on bail – at Tesco on South Road on April 11 and May 22 last year.

Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith said: “As I go through your record, there are simply no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

“You are a drain on the taxpayer’s resources.

“Until you rid yourself of your drug addiction, you are just going to be in a revolving door at the Scottish Prison Service.

“I would hope that you would see a life in future that might not involve going to Perth Prison each year.

“The only person that can make that change is you.”

Knuckledusters?

A thug whose haymaker left a Stirling agricultural show reveller with a brain injury has been told to expect a long prison sentence if rings he was wearing were like knuckledusters. Rory Hunter, 23, felled his victim with a single punch after he left a nightclub in Stirling city centre, where he fell to the road, hitting his head.

£30k of cocaine

Fife dealer Michael Mulrein, 34, was busted with £30,000 worth of cocaine at his home in Sycamore Crescent, Lumphinnans, Cowdenbeath, on June 17 2022.

He appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court to plead guilty to being concerned in the supply of the class A drug.

Prosecutor Sarah Smith said Mulrein was at home alone when police carried out a search there after receiving intelligence.

The fiscal said officers discovered six bags of cocaine weighing a total of 369g with a potential street value of between £18,000 and £30,000, if sold in 1g deals.

Other items found included £540 in cash from Mulrein’s bedroom, two sets of scales, and some white gloves with white residue on them.

Mulrein was arrested and later confirmed the cocaine was his.

His defence lawyer called for background reports and said he would reserve mitigation for the next court hearing.

Sheriff Steven Borthwick deferred sentencing until October 31 for reports, bailed Mulrein and granted a Crown motion to forfeit the cash.

Hit cars with hammer

A young man who left a Perth schoolboy scarred for life in a horrific Halloween scissor attack has admitted damaging cars with a hammer.

Reece Duncan, 20, who was placed on a deferred sentence for the brutal 2020 assault on the city’s Moncreiffe Island, returned to the dock and pled guilty to threatening or abusive behaviour on May 26.

He shouted and swore while in possession of hammer in Carnegie Place, Perth and used it to strike and damage a Mini Cooper and Ford Transit.

Duncan, of Bute Drive, Perth, also kicked a Vauxhall Corsa, causing damage.

He will be sentenced in November.

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