Thursday court round-up — Dog leash warning and boozy BBQ

A driver who crashed his van in Dundee then refused to provide police with a breath sample.

Midway through a trial, Martin White, of Grange Road in Arbroath, pled guilty to driving carelessly, refusing to provide a breath specimen and threatening or abusive behaviour on April 5 this year.

The 35-year-old drove without due care or attention on Balunie Drive and the A92 in Dundee, at excessive speeds, weaving erratically between traffic before colliding with another vehicle, damaging it, and then colliding with the central reservation.

At Balmossie Drive, he failed to provide a breath sample and called a Good Samaritan at the scene a “speccy b*****d.”

Sentencing White at Dundee Sheriff Court, Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith labelled the offending: “a very, very bad example of careless driving.”

White, who was convicted of drink-driving in 2015, was banned from the road for three years and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

Ninewells drug thief

A Ninewells Hospital worker from Perth admitted stealing boxes of high-strength painkillers and a paramedic’s uniform from Ninewells over a four-year period. Healthcare assistant Ben Douglas, 24, claimed the tablets were to assist his sick mother. He will be sentenced later.

Dog dispute

A professional dog walker has been found guilty of assaulting a woman at West Sands beach in St Andrews.

After a two-day trial at Dundee Sheriff Court, professional dog walker Tracy Buchan, 50, was found guilty of a significantly reduced charge of pushing the other woman at the Fife beauty spot on September 13 last year.

The pair became embroiled in an argument when Buchan motioned at her victim’s German shepherd, which was repeatedly charging at her dogs.

This was mistaken as an attempt to strike the dog and their disagreement escalated.

Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith said: “This is a most regrettable case to come before the court, given that Mrs Buchan has never been in trouble, is 50 and leads a no doubt prosocial lifestyle.

“It serves to highlight that those who own dogs have a duty to other dog owners and members of the public to ensure, given that a dog is an animal and can be unpredictable, that a dog – particularly a large dog such as a German shepherd – is kept on a leash.

“Had it been on a leash, I’m pretty certain no-one would have been before the court.”

Buchan, of St Andrews, was admonished.

Paedo’s £10k fine

A paedophile pensioner caught with a stash of sickening child abuse material has been fined £10,000. Police raided 71-year-old James Sneddon’s home in Kinross-shire and uncovered a collection of obscene photos and videos he had been amassing for nearly 12 years.

Post-boozy barbecue

A repeat drink-driver from Montrose has been banned for trying to run an errand after a boozy barbecue.

Edward Innes, 36, of Mearns Drive in Montrose, admitted driving with excess alcohol (85mics/ 22) on his hometown’s Rossie Islane Road on April 24 this year.

Police were tipped off and stopped Innes, smelling of alcohol, slurring his speech, with eyes glazed and needing help to exit the car, Forfar Sheriff Court heard.

Solicitor Nick Markowski said: “This incident occurred on a Sunday morning.

“On the Saturday, the family had had a barbecue. A lot of alcohol was consumed.

“Spirits were consumed later, well into the next morning.

“He got up, felt extremely rough and had a small amount to drink.

“His partner asked him to go and collect something and he did it.”

Innes was convicted of a similar offence as a teenager.

Sheriff George Way fined the ground-worker £450 and banned him from driving for 13 months.

He said: “I appreciate it was nearly 20 years ago but he has been through this mill before.

“We all know the problems of the day after the big night before.

“This was a very high reading. You must have been fairly well gone the night before.”

Crypto scammer

A Dundee woman who set up numerous bank accounts to manage a crypto scam has been sentenced to 130 hours unpaid work. Natalie Elliot, found guilty of money laundering to move money obtained in a cruel fraud, failed to persuade a sheriff partying visitors to her home may have used one of her bank cards to carry out the crime.

Raging boyfriend

A Dundee boyfriend who seized his partner by the neck when she tried to leave for a friend’s house must complete a programme aimed at rehabilitating domestic offenders.

Remand prisoner John McKenzie was brought from jail to Dundee Sheriff Court to be sentenced, having admitted threatening or abusive behaviour towards his partner in July this year.

The 41-year-old, of Dee Gardens, admitted that at a flat elsewhere in the city, he acted in an aggressive manner, made offensive remarks, seized hold of the woman’s neck, followed her and seized her by the clothing and attempted to prevent her leaving.

He repeatedly shouted and repeatedly attended at her home address uninvited and struck her door.

Solicitor Angela McLardy said her client, who has spent 130 days on remand, was “embarrassed.”

Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith imposed two years supervision and ordered McKenzie to complete the Caledonian Men’s Programme.

Motorway crash

A motorist who left his passenger with a broken neck when his car spun on the motorway in Stirlingshire had been driving at speeds of up to 125mph before crashing. Rhys Law’s car spun out in “horrific” weather on the M9, before flying through the air and hitting a tree.

Supermarket syringe

A drug addict plunged a syringe into his arm while he was being held by police at a Perth supermarket.

Tomasz Lacki, 40, was caught shooting up in toilets at Tesco, Edinburgh Road at about 10.30am on February 3 last year.

He was seen by staff walking into the toilets, despite being banned from the shop.

Depute fiscal Stephanie Paterson said police were there when he left a cubicle.

“He had his sleeve rolled up, with visible needle marks and fresh blood on his forearms.

“There was a blood-stained tissue protruding from his trouser pocket.”

Lacki was detained and told an officer he had a needle in his rucksack on the floor and hen one officer briefly left, he broke free.

“He bent down towards the rucksack and plunged the needle into his left forearm, while ignoring demands to desist.

“He threw the now empty syringe onto the floor.”

Lacki, of Murrayfield Loan, Crieff, admitted intentionally obstructing police in their duty.

Solicitor Pauline Cullerton said her client has found work at a local recycling firm.

Sheriff Lindsay Foulis ordered him to carry out 100 hours unpaid work and placed him on supervision for six months.

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