Strap yourselves in, it’s a bumper Wednesday court round-up.
One-shoed driver
A driver wearing only one shoe propelled a van into the middle of the road after an early morning smash in Dundee.
Drink driving suspect Kevin Spokes, 34, collided with a parked van on Lochee Road on July 18 last year.
Spokes refused to provide the police with breath samples and told officers: “It wisnae me that was driving.”
He was jailed after he admitted the offences at Dundee Sheriff Court.
Prosecutor Rachel Hill revealed how residents were awoken to the sound of Spokes’ Audi A4 crashing into the white Ford Transit van.
“There was extensive damage to both vehicles,” she said.
“Witnesses looked out of their windows at 3.55am and saw the van in the middle of the road.
“The Audi was approximately 200 yards away from the van. The accused was heavily under the influence of alcohol.”
Police arrived at around 4.20am and could detect alcohol from Spokes, who was wearing only one red trainer.
Spokes, of Ballantrae Road, was arrested but refused to provide breath samples.
He admitted driving carelessly and failing to comply with a breath test.
Solicitor Mike Short said Spokes disputed the suggestion he was heavily intoxicated but accepted his responsibility for the crash.
Sheriff Pino Di Emidio fined Spokes a total of £900 and disqualified him from driving for three years and four months.
However, no time to pay the fine was sought and Spokes was sentenced to an alternative of 28 days in prison.
Dog abuse video
Coupar Angus man Brendan Brown admitted sending a sick video to his ex-partner showing him assaulting her dog. He will be sentenced later at Perth Sheriff Court.
Hoarded for a decade
Cardenden paedophile Mark Thompson has admitted he harboured sick child abuse images for over a decade.
60-year-old Thompson, of the village’s Main Street, pled guilty to possessing indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children at his home or elsewhere from June 22 2009 until December 15 2019.
Thompson also admitted that between the same dates, he took or permitted to be taken or made indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children at his home or elsewhere.
Sheriff James Williamson continued the case for a week to allow for a narration to be heard.
Thompson is due back in court on July 20 and has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register.
Car wash tirade
A man who racially abused another at a Dundee car wash has been ordered to pay his victim compensation.
Phillip White, of the city’s Kinghorn Place, unleashed a tirade of abuse at Mohammad Salem Moghal at Angel Care car wash on Caldrum Street on September 19, 2019.
White, who acted in a racially aggravated manner which caused or was intended to cause alarm or distress, appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court for sentencing.
For shouting, swearing and making offensive racial comments to Mr Moghul, 30-year-old White was ordered to pay his victim £150.
White was also also admonished for shouting, swearing and uttering offensive comments towards Catriona Diamond at a concierge office at Reid Square on June 30, 2019.
Faces prison
A violent abuser who choked and threatened his partner with death is facing a prison sentence.
Michael Watson also repeatedly punched a pensioner and racially abused a woman in separate incidents.
The 51-year-old admitted carrying out the offences at addresses in Dundee between November and December last year.
Sentence was deferred on Watson for social work reports to be obtained.
At Dundee Sheriff Court, he pled guilty to repeatedly shouting, swearing, acting aggressively and threatening violence towards his neighbour, on Alloway Terrace on November 8 last year.
On the same date, he shouted, swore, acted aggressively and made racially offensive remarks to another person.
A 68-year-old man was injured after being punched on the head by Watson on November 19 last year on Alloway Terrace.
Watson also shouted, swore and acted aggressively during that incident.
He admitted a final charge of seizing his partner’s body, pinning her to a bed, compressing her throat and restricting her breathing before lifting her from the bed by her head, striking her head against furniture, forcing her to the ground, restraining her and threatening to kill her.
The assault took place at an address on Mossgiel Crescent on December 30.
Pub punch
A teenager who attacked a stranger at a Perth pub, after mistakenly thinking he was being laughed at, has been ordered to carry out unpaid work.
Christopher Simpson, 19, admitted punching Joshua Norris on the nose at the city’s Bank Bar on July 25, 2020.
Perth Sheriff Court heard Mr Norris was laughing at a joke made by a friend when Mr Simpson began shouting at him.
Simpson called him an “English c***” before bursting his nose.
Sheriff Neil Bowie imposed 50 hours of unpaid work as a “direct alternative” to custody.
Six months ago, Simpson was handed a 225 hour community sentence for kicking, biting and spitting at medics in Perth Royal Infirmary.
He admitted three charges of assault under the Emergency Workers Act, as well as acting in a threatening or abusive manner at the hospital on May 30.
In case you missed it…
Tuesday round-up — Lamb attack and hare coursing
Monday round-up — Husky and thirsty
Friday round-up — How not to go supermarket shopping
Thursday round-up – Objection! and postie ban
The Exploited: Human trafficking in Tayside and Fife exposed
