Friday court round-up — Death charge and rape conviction

A Montrose man is to stand trial charged with the killing a father at an industrial estate.

Rodney Shaw, 51, allegedly attacked David McGuinness, 30, on September 26 2023 at GPH Builders Merchant in Spurryhillock Industrial Estate in Stonehaven.

Prosecutors claim Mr McGuinness, of Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, was repeatedly punched on the head and body.

It is further alleged Shaw grabbed the dad-of-four, pushed, pulled and threw him towards a vehicle, resulting in him hitting his head.

The culpable homicide charge states Mr McGuinness sustained a cardiac arrest and passed away.

The case called at the High Court in Glasgow where a KC for Shaw denied the culpable homicide accusation.

A trial date of September 1 2025 at the High Court in Aberdeen was set and Shaw remains on bail.

Drink-drive peer

Conservative peer Alexander Scrymgeour the 12th Earl of Dundee has been banned from the road after being caught behind the wheel in Fife while more than double the drink-drive limit. He appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court to admit drink-driving in his Toyota Hilux truck on May 12 this year.

Rape conviction

A convicted Dundee sex offender has been told he faces a significant period in jail after being convicted of raping a woman in Brechin.

David Graves or Black was convicted of the crime following a five-day trial at Aberdeen High Court.

Graves, 31, denied one charge of repeatedly raping a woman on January 6 2020 but the jury of nine women and six men found him guilty by a majority.

Graves was also found, by a unanimous verdict, to have entered the woman’s home uninvited, damage her belongings and written a derogatory remark on her wall, all between April 1 2019 and June 30 2020.

He was convicted of child sex attacks in 2014 and was given an extended sentence of five years and three months imprisonment with three years supervision.

Judge Graeme Buchanan said: “This is a matter involving rape in a domestic relationship.

“This is obviously a very serious matter for which you have been convicted, provided against a significant previous conviction.

“In order to ensure all options remain open, which will undoubtedly mean a significant period of imprisonment, I will defer sentence to obtain reports.”

Graves sobbed as the verdict was delivered and was taken back to custody, where he has been on remand since November 2023 at HMP Perth.

Judge Buchanan placed Graves on the sex offenders register for an indefinite period and ordered him to return to Aberdeen High Court on December 6.

Brothel boss jailed

A brothel boss who trafficked two women to Dundee and forced them into prostitution has been jailed for nine years. Mananchaya Wanitthanawet, 40, brought the Thai nationals to the UK on the promise of lucrative massage work. Her partner 30-year-old Cameron Wilson, laundered dirty money in his bank accounts and transferred more than £136,000 in prostitution earnings.

Not laughing now

Perth Prison inmate Christopher Walker, 37, who laughed as a court heard how he abused his pregnant partner, has been jailed for 17 months.

Walker verbally abused a sheriff while he watched proceedings at Dundee Sheriff Court from a room at the prison.

He had terrified the woman to the point she barricaded her home with a chest of drawers when he demanded entry, believing he would kill her.

Walker previously pled guilty to behaving abusively on September 14 this year, as well as attacking a stranger on September 26.

Last month, Walker continually interrupted prosecutor Sarah Wilkinson as she attempted to narrate the circumstances of the incidents.

Sheriff Paul Brown reprimanded the repeat offender and said he would be considering contempt of court at the sentencing hearing.

Walker was heard to say: “You can stick your court up your a*** ya f****** dafty.”

Solicitor Jim Laverty said his client wished to apologise “unreservedly” for his behaviour, stating to Sheriff Brown Walker was irritated plans to bring him to court were ditched at the last-minute in favour of a video link.

The apology was accepted and no contempt finding was made by the sheriff.

Walker was jailed for 17 months and made subject to a three-year non-harassment order.

Wrong-way driver

A lorry driver got lost in the dark and careered down the wrong side of the A9 at speeds of nearly 60mph, forcing “terrified” oncoming motorists to swerve and crash. Bernard Blair drove his 44-tonne articulated truck towards approaching cars for six miles during a Friday evening rush hour in January 2022.

Businessman guilty

A Brechin businessman has been placed on a curfew after he was found guilty of assaulting a man during a row in Crieff.

Paul Baddeley pushed his victim at a property in High Street, causing him to strike his elbow against a wall.

Baddeley, 33, who runs sand and gravel supply firm Baddeley Aggregates, was also convicted of having an offensive weapon, a hammer, and using it to repeatedly strike a wheelbarrow.

He denied the allegations but was found guilty after trial at Perth Sheriff Court.

Returning to the dock for sentencing, Baddeley continued to maintain his innocence.

Sheriff Jennifer Bain KC told the father-of-two: “On the evidence, it was clear that you very quickly resorted to aggression and violence while in possession of a hammer.

“You caused harm to the complainer as a result of a pushing assault.”

Baddeley was assessed as a minimal risk of reoffending, despite a previous conviction for assault to injury.

Baddeley, of Albert Place, Brechin, was placed on a restriction of liberty tag and must stay home between 7pm and 7am for four months.

St Andrews robbery

Terrified students were punched and robbed of a mobile phone and a handbag in St Andrews. The pair were attacked in the early hours of the morning by Carlisle men Liam Bateman and Liam Gearing.

Continued harassment

A Fife man with a history of domestic offending, who broke a court order by contacting his wife from Perth Prison has been placed on supervision.

James Finn, 37, appeared at the city’s sheriff court and admitted repeatedly breaching a non-harassment order issued at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court in May last year.

He pled guilty to making abusive calls several times between August 25 and November 28 last year.

The court heard he appeared to try to minimise his behaviour in an interview with social workers but his solicitor said: “He is not trying to be clever or cunning.

“He is not intelligent at all. He struggles to cope with crises.”

Sheriff Jennifer Bain KC said she was concerned Finn appeared to believe he had done nothing wrong and said he still “presented a substantial risk” to his wife.

The sheriff placed Finn on supervision for two years and ordered him to engage with the Caledonian Programme for male domestic offenders.

She issued a new 12 month non-harassment order.

For more local court content visit our page or join us on Facebook.