The end of another busy week at courts around Tayside and Fife.
‘It’s all rather strange’
A seventeen-year-old bit his sister’s boyfriend on the stomach and called him a “paedo” after he asked to see a carpet burn on his leg.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was not present at Dunfermline Sheriff Court on Friday when his solicitor tendered a guilty plea to a charge of assault.
The two teenagers began wrestling at the accused’s home in Ballingry, the court heard.
Fiscal Depute Laura McManus said: “The complainer is also 17, and he is the partner of the accused’s sister.
“The accused entered the bedroom there and began asking them about a carpet burn on his leg.”
The accused pulled his trousers down slightly to reveal a plaster.
His sister’s boyfriend asked to see the burn to which the accused retaliated by calling him “a paedo.”
The complainer responded by returning the insult and the pair began wrestling in the accused’s sister’s bedroom.
Ms McManus said: “The accused bit him on the right side of the stomach.”
The victim was left with a bite mark and police were contacted.
The teenager pleaded guilty to assaulting his sister’s partner by biting him on the body to his injury.
Sheriff Derek Reekie said: “It’s all rather strange.
“Pulling trousers down and calling each other paedos, it’s all unusual.”
He said: “It seems to me the situation is rather unusual. It seems like the youngsters were having a squabble.”
The sheriff fined the teenager, who has no previous convictions, £190 in order to “simply remind this young man that actions have a consequence.”
Terror charge
A man accused of preparing to commit acts of terrorism and suggesting online that he planned to attack the Fife Islamic Centre will stand trial next month.
Sam Imrie, 24, allegedly acquired knives, nunchucks, a hammer, a baseball bat, a rifle scope and petrol, which he referred to as his “arsenal”, between June 20 and July 4 2019.
He is accused of posting statements on the internet platform Telegram indicating he planned to stream live footage of “an incident” and posting statements suggesting he was going to carry out an attack on the Fife Islamic Centre in Glenrothes.
It is also alleged he recorded and compiled details of terrorist attacks on places of worship.
Imrie denied all the charges against him when he appeared at the High Court in Glasgow in December 2019.
He will stand trial at the High Court in Edinburgh on October 4.
That’s entertainment
A Fife man who fired illegal air rifles near residential homes to entertain a bored youngster has had his sentence deferred.
Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard Simon McLeod had kept two of the weapons in his attic.
Neighbours in Lochore called the police after hearing gunshots in the early evening. Officers found found two weapons in McLeod’s kitchen.
Solicitor Elaine Buist said McLeod had owned the rifles for some time prior to the requirement to have a licence, which was introduced in December 2016.
She had earlier told the court that he had been attempting to entertain a child who was staying with him, describing it as “a diversion for the youngster”.
McLeod, of Balbedie Avenue, Lochore, admitted possession the weapons without a licence at his home on April 28 2019.
The 43-year-old had his sentence deferred until December for good behaviour.
Revenge attack
A vengeful father forced his son-in-law to kneel and beg for forgiveness after dowsing him in liquid and threatening to torch him.
Company owner Stephen Keen made his wife film the humiliating apology on her mobile phone as he took revenge on terrified Stephen Saint.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told that firefighter Mr Saint had been left suffering from flashbacks as a result of his shocking ordeal.
The court was told that Keen, who runs a cleaning business, had decided to take the law into his own hands after being told about a previous incident between Mr Saint and his daughter.
Sticky situation
A sticky-fingered thief who broke into an award-winning Perth restaurant has walked free from court.
Daniel Sweeney left tell-tale fingerprints on the bar of 63 Tay Street, a former Scottish Restaurant of the Year.
A passer-by heard the establishment’s alarms and saw the 25-year-old running off with his arms full of booze.
Sweeney, of Culliven Court, Perth, admitted stealing a bottle of wine and two beers on June 23, last year.
He pled guilty in December and sentence was deferred until this week to give him a chance to prove he can stay out of trouble.
Sweeney was admonished when he appeared before Sheriff Linda Smith.
In case you missed it…
Thursday round-up — Birthday bash and bottle smash
Wednesday round-up — Secret SIM and drunken abuse
Tuesday round-up — Shovel break-in and forbidden romance
Monday round-up — Language barrier and business bans
EXCLUSIVE: How fraudsters scammed Crieff restaurant out of £44,000 in elaborate curry racket