The Tuesday court round-up.
Murder accused
Dundee games designer Andrew Innes appeared briefly at Glasgow High Court in connection with the deaths of Bennylyn Burke and her two-year-old daughter Jellica in the city.
The 51-year-old is accused of murdering the pair and burying their bodies under his house.
He also faces charges of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by lying to police about their fate.
He faces a further accusation that he abducted and raped a young child in Dundee between February 20 and March 5.
Innes appeared via videolink and the case was continued without him pleading.
Not guilty of fraud
A woman has been cleared of defrauding a Fife playgroup out of thousands of pounds over a two-year period.
Rebecca Martin denied inducing the Triangle Under 5’s playgroup on Bonnygate, Cupar to pay her remuneration that she was due as an employee as well as failing to pay child care fees.
Prosecutors alleged Martin, 40, pretended to the company that she had worked a number of hours, including overtime, between April 1 2016 and December 1 2018.
It was alleged Martin had not worked those hours and induced Triangle to pay her £3,093 in remuneration by fraud.
A separate charge alleged between April 1, 2017 and January 1, 2018, Martin, of the town’s Braehead, induced the company to provide child care facilities worth £985.50 by fraud.
On the day Martin was due to stand trial at Dundee Sheriff Court, the Crown accepted her not guilty plea to both charges.
Ear bite claim
A man allegedly had part of his ear bitten off after being attacked in a Dundee pub.
David Tosney was allegedly left permanently disfigured after being assaulted at Harlequins, Albert Street, on September 26.
Prosecutors allege Steven Drummond, 34, was responsible for carrying out the assault.
It is alleged he bit off a segment of Mr Tosney’s ear before punching Stephen Dewar on the head and knocking him to the ground.
Drummond allegedly straddled Mr Dewar, repeatedly punched him on the head and bit him on the body.
Thereafter, PC Thomas Fitzpatrick was allegedly kicked by Drummond outside the pub.
Drummond, of Saggar Street, is also said to have tried to kick PC Steven Merchant before struggling violently with PC Jamie Hays and PC Fitzpatrick.
Court papers say he acted aggressively, tried to fight police and repeatedly shouted as well as challenging people to fight inside the pub and refusing to leave.
A final charge alleges that Drummond urinated while in a police van.
He made no plea at Dundee Sheriff Court and the case was continued for further examination.
Drummond was remanded meantime.
Disfigured mother
A Burntisland man who “permanently disfigured” his own mother in a brutal attack has been handed a community payback order.
Paul Adam admitted assaulting his mother on January 30, last year.
Adam, 22, seized her by the throat at a property in Abbotsford Drive, Glenrothes.
He repeatedly punched her on the head, leaving her “severely” injured and “permanently disfigured.”
The following day, Adam, of Nicol Drive in Burntisland, continued his aggression with family members.
At a property in Westerlea, Leslie, he behaved in a threatening manner, acting aggressively and engaging in a fight with a male relative.
At a later point that day, he also refused to provide a breath sample when stopped by police in Kirkcaldy.
Sheriff James Williamson sentenced Adam to 12 months of supervision and 225 hours of unpaid work at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.
He was also made subject to a Restriction of Liberty order for the next four months and disqualified from driving for a year.
Robbed 72-year-old
A woman who pulled an elderly man to the ground as she robbed him of £30 has been jailed.
Kelly Laird assaulted the 72-year-old after he had promised her £10 but later changed his mind.
She then attacked him and took the money.
The 33-year-old later went on to rob a woman after visiting her home in Kirkcaldy and grabbing her purse when she answered the door.
Laird, a prisoner at Polmont, admitted robbing the man on Templehall Avenue, Kirkcaldy on June 6.
She further admitted robbing the woman at an address in Kirkcaldy on August 10.
She was handed a 26-month custodial sentence.
In case you missed it…
Monday round-up — Boots ban and forgotten knife
Friday round-up — Wet wall wally and nonagenarian nonsense
Thursday round-up — Unfit for videolink
Wednesday round-up — WWE horseplay and prescription grab
EXCLUSIVE: How fraudsters scammed Crieff restaurant out of £44,000 in elaborate curry racket
