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Monday court round-up — Takeaway rant and second murder accused

By Crime and Courts Team

September 13 2021, 7:30pm

A fine start to the week for the Crime and Courts Team.

Takeaway rant

A Dundee man shouted racist abuse and threatened to kill his Polish neighbour over a takeaway mix up.

Steven Drummond erupted after delivery driver Plamen Petkov wrongly pressed the buzzer of his Saggar Street flat on August 14, last year.

Drummond shouted: “Get out of there ya f****** immigrant, f*** off,” towards his neighbour, Monika Rabirek, after she tried to intervene.

Prosecutor Larissa Milligan told Dundee Sheriff Court: “The complainer ordered takeaway at 10.30pm.

“The delivery driver pressed the wrong button.

“The accused became angry that his buzzer was pressed incorrectly.”

In the stairwell, Drummond angrily confronted the driver and his neighbour left her flat and Drummond began shouting and swearing at her.

Mr Petkov was then chased out of the stairwell by Drummond, 34.

Drummond later shouted: “I’m going to kill you,” after banging at Ms Rabirek’s door and pulling at the handle.

Police were contacted and Drummond was traced at a later date.

Drummond, now of Jericho House, Artillery Lane, pled guilty to acting aggressively, shouting and swearing at Plamen Petkov and pursuing him from the stairwell.

repeatedly shouting and swearing at Monika Rabirek, making threats and racial remarks, trying to open her flat door and banging on the door on August 14 2020.

Defence solicitor Jim Laverty explained Drummond had longstanding struggles with alcohol and mental health issues.

Sheriff Grant McCulloch told Drummond: “You are making steps to sort yourself out.

“You’ve had a few run ins with the law, served your time. You don’t want to be going back there.”

Drummond’s sentence was deferred for six months for good behaviour.

United keeper vs army truck

Young Dundee United goalkeeper Jack Newman crashed into a 15-tonne army truck in Fife, on his way to training. The 19-year-old pled guilty to dangerous driving after overtaking a off-duty police officers and a bus, into the path of the army truck.

Jack Newman pled guilty to dangerous driving.

Murder accused

A second man has appeared in court over claims he murdered a Dundee dad at his city home.

Thomas Henderson allegedly stabbed Lee Small to death on Ballindean Terrace on September 8.

Henderson, 30, was remanded in custody after appearing at Dundee Sheriff Court in connection with the allegation.

Last week, 27-year-old Michael King was remanded in custody on an identical allegation.

It is alleged Henderson, of Pitairlie Road, “acted with another” to repeatedly punch Mr Small on the head and body.

He is then alleged to have stabbed Mr Small, 40, on the neck with a sharp, bladed instrument, murdering him.

Mr Small was found near his home on September 8 but died after suffering serious injuries.

Henderson made no plea during the brief hearing on petition.

No application was made to have Henderson released on bail.

Sheriff Paul Brown continued the case for further examination and remanded Henderson in custody.

Squidgy poos

An Arbroath shop owner faces a potential prison sentence after breaching trading standards rules. Businessman Kaleem Ahmed, trading at Angus Housewares, pled guilty to three charges relating to stock, including toy lightsabers, “squidgy poos” and electrical items, in his High Street Nickel & Dime shop.

Goods have been seized from Arbroath Nickel and Dime.

Face mask ‘assault’

A senior carer has denied lowering her face mask and blowing into the face of a 94-year-old resident.

Jacqueline Lowden, 55, allegedly committed the offence while working as a senior care assistant at Pitkerro Care Centre, Pitkerro Road, Dundee.

Lowden is accused of assaulting the woman four weeks into the first UK lockdown.

It is alleged Lowden, of Kerrsview Terrace, assaulted the pensioner by removing her face mask and deliberately blowing air from her mouth and into the resident’s face.

Lowden was not present when the case called at Dundee Sheriff Court.

After a plea of not guilty was tendered on her behalf, Sheriff Paul Brown fixed a trial for December.

Benefits cheat

Dundee woman Shona Fletcher has been warned she could be jailed after a £15,000 benefits fraud. The 39-year-old was shopped by neighbours who reported she was living with her husband while claiming benefits to which she was not entitled.