The final court round-up of the week.
A Fife wet wall installer began drinking with a satisfied customer before driving home.
Luiz Da Silva appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court to admit driving with 83 mics of alcohol per 100ml of breath in his system – nearly four times the 22-mic limit.
The businessman, who employs three people, had been installing wet wall at a property on August 8.
The chuffed customer offered Da Silva a drink and his lawyer said he did not want to turn down the offer.
Fiscal depute Dev Kapadia said: “Police officers on patrol on the A92 had been passed information about a possible intoxicated driver who was apparently heading back to his home address.”
Officers traced Da Silva’s Renault Clio outside his home in Harris Drive, Kirkcaldy, shortly after 1am and the 38-year-old was still in the driver’s seat.
His defence solicitor described the incident as an “error of judgement” and an “isolated incident.”
She said: “He was working and had carried out a job at a customer’s house.
“The customer was particularly pleased.”
Sheriff Ian Anderson fined Da Silva £640 and banned him from driving for 14 months.
Snapchat breach
Perthshire paedophile Brandon Williamson has been returned to prison after breaching a strict non-harassment order. The 21-year-old was only free from his last jail term for three days when he contacted one of his victim’s friends on Snapchat.
Nonagenarian nonsense
A 90-year-old driver narrowly missed crashing into other motorists after driving through red lights.
John Brackenridge was fined and banned from the roads after he admitted driving dangerously on Arbroath Road at the junctions with Fairfield Road and Claypotts Road on July 14, 2020.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told how Brackenridge was driving a Suzuki Ignis at the time of the incident.
The pensioner failed to observe and obey a red traffic light at a pedestrian crossing before mounting the pavement.
Brackenridge, of Carseview Terrace, Forfar, then drove along a grass verge before rejoining the roadway and driving through another red light.
Other motorists had to take evasive action to avoid colliding with Brackenridge’s car.
Brackenridge did not appear in court but solicitor John Boyle tendered a guilty plea on his behalf.
He was fined a total of £320 and disqualified from driving for one year.
Eight cans of lager
Hospital worker Donna Murdoch drank eight cans of lager before driving on the Standing Stane Road in Fife. She admitted drink driving after taking her car along the notorious road’s verge, bursting two tyres, before coming to a halt.
Attempted murder charge
A 15-year-old boy has been ordered to stand trial accused of attempting to murder a pensioner in her Angus home.
The woman, aged 85, was allegedly stabbed repeatedly at her home in Montrose on September 15 by the teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
Prosecutors allege the boy assaulted the pensioner by repeatedly striking her on the body with a knife.
It is alleged the youth injured the woman and endangered her life as a result.
He allegedly carried out the attack in an attempt to murder her.
Court papers also allege the teenager robbed the woman of money during the incident at her home on the town’s Mountboy.
The teenager made a second appearance on petition at Dundee Sheriff Court in connection with the allegations.
Solicitor Angela McLardy continued to make no plea on the youth’s behalf.
He was remanded in custody by Sheriff Paul Brown after he fully committed the teen for trial.
Knife attack
29-year-old Coupar Angus man Kieran Fletcher attacked a car with a knife while branding its driver a “paedophile”. The previous offender will return to court for sentencing at a later date.
Trial doubt
A Perth OAP accused of forging signatures on a will in an effort to claim more than £50,000 may not be fit enough to stand trial.
James Heggie is being assessed by doctors ahead of a court hearing in December.
The 76-year-old allegedly forged a will which named him as a beneficiary for a sum of £51,959 in December, 2017.
He faces a further allegation of trying to transfer £40,000 from a woman’s building society account into his own.
Heggie, of Castle Place, denies both charges.
His solicitor Linda Clark told Perth Sheriff Court she is waiting to hear the results of a doctor’s assessment, to establish whether or not he is well enough for trial.
Sheriff Linda Smith deferred the case until December.
In case you missed it…
Thursday round-up — Unfit for videolink
Wednesday round-up — WWE horseplay and prescription grab
Tuesday round-up — Foodbank assault and murder petitions
Monday round-up — Spitting mad and supermarket Creep
EXCLUSIVE: How fraudsters scammed Crieff restaurant out of £44,000 in elaborate curry racket
