A woman hid her inheritance to claim more benefits, a “hash in the attic” cannabis farmer was brought to justice and a woman appeared on a charge of forcing another to jump out a window – just another day in Tayside’s courts…
Hidden inheritance
A 45-year-old woman hid a family inheritance so she could con thousands out of the benefits agency.
Thandilyn MacMaster, 45, from Strathmiglo, admitted cheating the agency out of £5,846 after failing to declare she had inherited money from her late mother.
At Dundee Sheriff Court, it emerged she has been paying the money back at £100 per month and she was ordered to be of good behaviour for a year and continue the payments.
Solicitor David Sinclair, defending, said: “The line was crossed whereby she received an inheritance from her mother.
“She has had difficulty following her mother’s protracted illness and then death and the loss of that support network for her children. She has been a bit of a maelstrom of emotions.”
Window jump accusation
Margaret Davies-Williamson appeared in in private at Perth Sheriff Court accused of severely injuring another woman by forcing her to jump out of a window during an attack.
The 22-year-old is alleged to have bitten the woman on the face and caused her to jump from a window to her severe injury on March 6.
It is alleged she assaulted the Rhiannon McKay, 28, by repeatedly kicking her on the head and body before biting her on the face, causing her to jump from the window of 6D Cromlix Road to her severe injury.
She entered no plea, the case against her was continued for further examination and she was released on bail.
Hash in the Attic
A 53-year-old who converted his loft into a large scale cannabis farm to feed his habit has been placed on a curfew for 162 days.
Thomas Dougal managed to produce a crop of cannabis worth almost £15,000 in his loft space.
Sheriff Lorna Drummond told him: “A charge like this has to be marked as quite serious. It is a more serious matter to produce cannabis, rather than possessing it.”
Dougal, Ormiston Crescent, Dundee, admitted producing the drug at his home on January 30 last year.
Police acting on an anonymous tip found the illicit farm in the loft and recovered a total of 23 plants at various stages of growth, with a potential value of £13,800.
Douglas has been placed on a curfew from 7pm to 7am for 162 days.
Teenage joyrider
A 15-year-old joyrider caused two crashes in his stepfather’s van while almost double the drink-drive limit.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had three other passengers in the Ford Transit van between September 4 and 5.
He admitted two charges of failing to stop after a collision on Dundee’s Baxter Park Terrace and Cunningham Street.
Prosecutor Emma Farmer told Dundee Sheriff Court: “A witness on Cunningham Street was in his home when he heard a loud bang. He immediately observed the accused driving the van.
“At this stage, the vehicle’s wheels were mounted on the kerb and the accused was attempting to drive away. The accused reversed the vehicle and drove away towards Arbroath Road.”
Police caught up with the teenager, now 16 and he gave a reading of 40 mics of alcohol in 100 mils of breath, exceeding the limit of 22 mics.
Sentence was deferred until May.
