Step into the weekend with a bumper Friday court round-up.
Stole from 88 and 96-year-olds
A bogus workman plucked cash from his elderly victim’s hand after strolling into her house and helping himself to a glass of water.
Matthew Morrison took £50 from the 88-year-old and also stole her handbag.
It came just days after a 96-year-old woman had been conned into giving him £20 with the promise that he would clear her guttering.
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard the younger victim was targeted after Morrison told her he needed help splitting a £50 note to give one of her neighbours change for work he had done.
As as she went to fetch her purse, Morrison walked into her kitchen and poured himself a drink of water.
He then took the £50 from her and walked out.
Morrison, 32, of Laxford Road, Glenrothes admitted committing fraud on May 6 and 24 in Glenrothes and breaching bail by offering gutter cleaning services.
Sheriff James Williamson jailed him for a total of 10 months.
Dog killer
A Fife man who drowned his golden retriever in the bath and then sent an image of its dead body to his ex-partner has been warned he could be jailed. You can read here the matters the sheriff is weighing up before sentencing Alan Petrie for killing his dog, Jack.
Police chase
A thug jailed for attempted murder has been spared further time in prison for dangerous driving.
Colin Sangster, 28, was locked up for eight years and four months for his part in attacking a man in Dundee in August 2019.
He and brother Alexander Sangster, 26, who was jailed for ten years and six months, mowed down 35-year-old Paul Ross with a car on City Road.
Sangster has now appeared at the Dundee Sheriff Court to admit embarking on a high-speed police chase and driving the wrong way on a roundabout.
Prosecutor Michelle Mooney said: “At 1.20am, police observed the van travelling south and activated the blue lights and signalled for the vehicle to stop.
“The vehicle continued driving and entered the roundabout junction and turned right, travelling on the wrong side and continued west.
“This forced another vehicle to take evasive action to avoid a collision.”
The van was lost to view but Sangster was later traced by police.
Sangster admitted driving dangerously on the A92 at the junction with The Parkway, Aberdeen and without insurance and failed to provide police with information.
Sheriff George Way disqualified him from driving for two years.
St Johnstone fan bans
A group of St Johnstone fans have been banned from matches until February. Logan Gilmartin, Lewis MacLeod, Bobby Paterson and Declan Harvey, all from Perth and Perthshire are accused of offences around their team’s Scottish Cup Final win in May. The charges and the court’s reasoning can be found here.
Money laundering charge
A woman has appeared in court accused of depositing laundered money into her bank account.
Yu Feng, 23, allegedly “acquired and possessed” criminal property on April 6.
It is alleged Feng, of Constitution Road, Dundee, deposited £500 into an account in her name at Post Office, Whitehall Street.
Feng made no plea when she appeared in the dock at Dundee Sheriff Court.
Sheriff Gregor Murray continued the case for further examination and released Feng on bail.
Police raided wrong flat
A county lines cannabis dealer was given the chance to rid himself of a £30k drugs stash when he heard police mistakenly raiding the flat next door. Officers in Coupar Angus quickly realised their mistake and Shohaib Khan has now appeared at Perth Sheriff Court. Read about the case here.
Controlling behaviour
A 31-year-old man allegedly shared indecent videos of his former partner and cut her hair without her permission.
Matthew Austin is said to have engaged in an abusive course of behaviour towards the woman between October 1 2019 and August 31 last year.
Austin, of Strathmartine Road, Dundee, allegedly shared indecent images and videos of the woman with a third party without her consent.
He is accused of cutting her hair without her permission, belittling her appearance, acting in a controlling and coercive manner and threatening to self-harm if she ended the relationship.
Solicitor John Boyle tendered a not guilty plea at Dundee Sheriff Court on Austin’s behalf.
Sheriff Gregor Murray fixed a trial for September and released Austin on bail.
Tory councillor
Perth Tory councillor Audrey Coates will stand trial on charges of drink driving and driving without insurance in February. A not guilty plea was tendered on her behalf.
In case you missed it…
Thursday round-up – Dog lick charges
Wednesday round-up — Bar stabber and shop raid
Tuesday round-up — Covid cough and IRA bomb threat
Monday round-up — Parcel depot thefts and golf ball raid
The Exploited: Human trafficking in Tayside and Fife exposed
