The weekend approaches but there is no let-up in the court action.
Cinema solution
A sheriff came up with a novel way of accommodating a trial involving eight accused men.
Perth Sheriff Court is currently unable to set a date for a trial against the men, who were allegedly involved in a “large-scale stand-up fight” at Perth Prison.
Current coronavirus regulations strictly limit the number of people who can appear in the dock at one time.
And jury trials are still held remotely, with jurors watching the evidence from inside a multiplex cinema.
Sheriff George Way joked: “It might be an idea to bring the jury into the court and put the accused in the cinema.”
The case was continued to December 16.
John Brand, 29, of River Street, Brechin; Dylan Ferguson, 24, of HMP Low Moss; Terry Barr, 31, of St Ninians Terrace, Dundee; Scott Dolan, 32, of Glenmoy Avenue, Dundee; Graham Soave, 32, of Dundee Loan, Forfar; Pavel Tomko, 25, of Northwood Crescent, Nottingham and Daniel Blake, 43, of Hepburn Street, Dundee, deny the allegation.
They are accused of conducting themselves in a disorderly manner, engaging in a large scale stand-up fight, and committing a breach of the peace, at HMP Perth on July 23, 2019.
Poisoning fines
The parents and girlfriend of tragic teenage student Thomas Hill spoke of their devastation over his death by carbon monoxide poisoning in a remote Angus cottage in 2015.
The owner of the cottage, Burghill Farms and the man who sub-let it, Piers Le Cheminant, were fined at Dundee Sheriff Court for safety breaches.
Locked from flat
A Dunfermline man found himself locked out of his flat after running after a neighbour and threatening to kill him.
Christopher Day had pursued the man following a neighbourly dispute involving the man’s boyfriend.
After finding himself locked out of the building early in the morning the 41-year-old started banging on the windows and making homophobic slurs.
Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard his victim had left the building to walk his dog at 6.30am.
As he passed, Day opened the door of his flat and threatened him before following him from the building, locking himself out in the process.
He started banging on windows and shouted “let me in ya p**f”.
Solicitor Jamie Moncrieff, defending, said Day and the man’s boyfriend were embroiled in a dispute as Day believed, mistakenly, they were the cause of water leaking into his flat.
Day, of James Street, Dunfermline, admitted behaving in a threatening and abusive manner at his home address on March 10.
He was ordered to carry out 225 hours of unpaid work.
Self-pleasurer
A domestic abuser who pleasured himself over his former partner’s clothing has been hit with a five-year non-harassment order and a two-year supervision period. Roy Orrock, 62, from Kirriemuir was convicted at Forfar Sheriff Court of engaging in a course of abusive behaviour.
Trial ordered
A sheriff has ordered a 75-year-old man to stand trial over claims he indecently assaulted a teenage girl with the intent of raping her.
John Graham allegedly targeted the girl on an occasion between September 1, 2004 and October 31, 2005 at an address in Montrose.
Graham allegedly pushed the girl on the body, pinned her down, repeatedly kissed her and tried to place his tongue in her mouth.
The pensioner, of the town’s Bailie Wilson Way, allegedly placed his hands in her upper clothing and tried to remove it.
Prosecutors allege Graham did this with the intent of raping the child.
A separate charge alleges Graham sent sexual messages to the same complainer on September 26, 2018.
Graham was not present when the case called at Dundee Sheriff Court.
Defence solicitor Sarah Russo tendered a plea of not guilty on Graham’s behalf.
A trial, which will be held at Perth Sheriff Court, was fixed for February by Sheriff Lorna Drummond QC.
Lucky to be alive
A Dundee man was said to be lucky to be alive after being stabbed in the neck on Lochee High Street. Thomas Smith was with a group taking drugs in public, in broad daylight, when Jeffrey Claxton told them to leave the area. Smith stabbed him in the neck with a piece of metal.
‘Weighty charge’
A man was left permanently impaired following a serious assault in Perth city centre.
Darren Brown was set upon in County Place on November 14, 2019.
Ryan Ferguson, McDonald Court, Perth, has admitted attacking Mr Brown to his severe injury.
The 20-year-old challenged his victim to a fight before striking him on the head and knocking him to the ground.
Mr Brown was kicked as he lay on the street.
Solicitor John McLaughlin tendered a guilty plea on Ferguson’s behalf at Perth Sheriff Court.
The crown accepted a plea of not guilty to a second allegation that Ferguson threatened Mr Brown with further violence on social media.
Sheriff George Way deferred sentence for background reports until December 1.
“This is a weighty charge for someone who has barely come to the attention of the court,” he said.
In case you missed it…
Wednesday round-up – Low winter sun
Tuesday round-up – Hammer and knocking c***s out
Monday round-up – Petrol bomb and rehab failure
Friday round-up – Stop being a complete ned
Sam Imrie: The hate-fuelled Fife loner who danced with fascists and got burned