Your Monday could always have been worse…
Noisy neighbour
A noisy neighbour from Dundee has admitted roaring threats through his ceiling.
Francis Divine was also caught in possession of a knife and a screwdriver after making the stabbing threats.
Divine, now of Hawick Drive, had been told to keep the noise down at his former flat in Kemnay Gardens.
Fiscal Depute Larissa Milligan told Dundee Sheriff Court: “The witnesses heard loud banging from the flat below and glass smashing.”
One banged on the floor but the noise from Divine’s flat continued and he shouted and swore at the couple.
Divine, 46, referred to one of his neighbours as a “mutt” and said: “I’ll come up there and stab you”.
He added: “Come down here if you think you’re hard enough” and “I’ll stab f*** out of you.”
Police attended and found Divine a short distance away from his flat, which was in a “state of disarray.”
Officers plucked a knife and a screwdriver from his pockets when he was searched.
Divine appeared from custody at Dundee Sheriff Court and Sheriff George Way deferred sentence until September 23 for reports.
Olympian avoids jail
A Special Olympics gold medallist from Dundee has avoided prison for his second offence of possessing child abuse images. Andrew Gray, who led swimming lessons and was an assistant Scout leader in the city, was warned in 2016 if he downloaded images again, he faced prison but was handed a community disposal again this time.
Leaping the language barrier
A migrant worker who swore at Perth police officers in Polish during a violent disturbance has been fined £300.
Dawid Armatys flew into a rage when confronted by constables at his girlfriend’s home in Balgowan Road.
Perth Sheriff Court heard the 38-year-old’s partner had called police when he arrived at the property drunk and refused to leave.
Fiscal depute Sean Maher said: “He had been admitted inside the house, but thereafter fell asleep.
“Police attended and spoke to the householder.
“She said she did not want Mr Armatys arrested, but wanted him removed.”
“He was spoken to by police, but refused to leave.
“After they continued to encourage him to leave, he squared up to a police officer and raised his voice, repeatedly using a Polish slur a number of times.
“He struggled violently with the officers, before he was handcuffed and taken into custody.”
Armatys, of Crieff Road, Perth, admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, likely to cause fear or alarm, on May 4, last year.
Solicitor Paul Ralph said: “The language barrier did not assist either party in this case.”
Armatys and his girlfriend remain in a relationship, the court heard.
No blame on medical staff
A sheriff has ruled medical staff could have done nothing to prevent the death of Montrose man Mark Johnston, who was stabbed 120 times by his best friend David Reid. Reid discharged himself from a psychiatric hospital shortly before the killing but it has been determined there were no grounds to detain him.
‘Testing the court’s patience’
A Fife man who was abusive to staff at a supermarket and a takeaway while drunk has been told to keep out of both.
On August 10, Samuel McCluskey stole a case of beer from the Co-op supermarket in Dalgety Bay.
The 34-year-old returned to the Lt Sales Avenue store nine days later while under the influence and behaved in a manner “likely to cause fear or alarm” by repeatedly shouting and swearing before challenging staff to fight him.
On August 29, McCluskey, of Albany Street in Dunfermline, behaved in a similar manner while at Maurizio takeaway on Inverkeithing High Street.
He repeatedly shouted and swore before threatening staff.
McCluskey appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court from custody to plead guilty to three charges.
His defence solicitor Zander Flett said: “He appreciated he’s testing the court’s patience.”
Sheriff Eric Brown deferred sentence until September 29 for reports.
McCluskey was released on bail but told not to enter either business referred to in the charges.
Cooked the books
A chef who embezzled more than £12,000 from a Dundee social enterprise will be sentenced at a later date. Moira Coughlin admitted taking the money from Tayberry Enterprise Ltd between December 2017, and May, 2018.
In case you missed it…
Friday round-up — Buckfast pictures and beatings
Thursday round-up — Feeding the meter a gramme at a time
Wednesday round-up — Bottle threat and mattress fire
Tuesday round-up — Count to ten
EXCLUSIVE: How fraudsters scammed Crieff restaurant out of £44,000 in elaborate curry racket