Another bumper Thursday in our courts.
Amazon cancellation assault
A man attacked his sister after having a nightshift at Amazon’s Dunfermline depot cancelled.
David Pratt began drinking at his home in Strathenry Place in Leslie when he found out his shift at the company had been canellced and proceeded to act in a “threatening or abusive manner” towards the woman.
Pratt, 37, admitted engaging in a fight with the woman, seizing her by the hair and repeatedly striking her head against the floor, before grabbing her by the neck.
He also admitted shouting, swearing, acting aggressively and damaging a wall by repeatedly striking it on December 15.
Fiscal depute Xander van der Scheer told Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court Pratt began drinking and quickly got agitated.
His sister asked him to calm down but she soon became fearful he would attack her.
Mr van der Scheer said: “The sister of the accused then pushed the accused and gets on top of him to try and hold his arms as she thought he was going to hit her.”
Pratt flipped her onto the floor and held her by the hair, hitting her head off the floor “three or four times.”
He then grabbed her by the throat with both hands before turning his violence on his home, repeatedly punching a wall.
Police officers attended shortly after.
Sheriff Timothy Niven-Smith placed Pratt under supervision for 18 months and instructed him to complete 150 hours of unpaid work.
Pilot questioned
A sheriff questioned the suitability of trainee pilot Samuel Murphy to take to the skies after he was convicted of domestic abuse offences. Sheriff William Wood made the comments after hearing how Murphy bit and spat on his partner and made suicide threats.
BMW loss
Sacked hotel worker John Miller will lose his BMW after he was caught drink driving in Blairgowrie on October 6.
Miller, 47, of Church Lane, Halkirk, packed all of his belongings into his car after he was turfed out of his workplace, where he was also staying.
He was pulled over by a police in Blairgowrie’s after a tip-off from his former colleagues and found to be nearly five times the legal limit.
Procurator fiscal David Currie said: “He readily admitted he had been drinking and that he had had his last drink about 10 minutes before he was stopped.”
He admitted driving his car in Tannage Street with 109 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of blood and driving without insurance.
Mr Currie made a motion to forfeit the vehicle. It went unopposed.
Solicitor Stuart Hamilton told the court: “His intention was to move his car from the front (of the hotel) to the back and that involved him going onto a public road.
“He does apologise for his actions and he does regret the decision he took.”
The court heard agency worker Miller is keen to get back into employment in the hospitality industry.
“He tells me that this first experience of custody has been something of a short, sharp shock to the system,” Mr Hamilton said.
Sheriff Francis Gill deferred sentence for background reports until December 1.
Miller, who has been remanded since his arrest, was released on bail.
Bigoted remarks
An angry driver has been fined for making homophobic remarks towards police officers.
Kathryn Siddall made the bigoted comments when stopped for a search shortly before midnight by two female police officers on Forfar Road Dundee on May 22 last year.
Siddall, 26, of Kerrsview Terrace, appeared in Dundee Sheriff Court and pled guilty.
Fiscal depute Larissa Milligan said: “The accused became aggressive, shouting ‘Look at you, you f**king lesbians’.”
She referred to one officer as a “wee d**e”.
Defending solicitor David Duncan referred to a report stating his client had a distrust of police due to earlier interactions.
Mr Duncan also said his client had intended her comments to be “cutting” rather than prejudicial.
Sheriff Lorna Drummond imposed a financial penalty of £270.
Tech exchange thief
NHS project manager David Stuart Gillies pled guilty to stealing £13,000 of new IT equipment and selling it to tech exchange chain CeX branches in Dunfermline, Falkirk and Stirling. A colleague spotted the items in the shop window and a subsequent audit uncovered the thefts, in 2019.
House raid
A former dockyard engineer has admitted breaking into a home in Kirkcaldy and stealing hundreds of pounds worth of goods.
Kevin Johnston, 43, appeared by video link at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.
He admitted raiding the house of at South Fergus Place on October 21.
Johnston, of nearby Maryhall Street, entered without permission and plundered jewellery, boxes, a bag, a leather case, an iPad, a mobile and a laptop.
He also took papers including bank documents, passports, chequebooks, a bank card and a key.
Defence solicitor David Cranston explained his client had previously worked as a dockyard engineer but now suffers from PTSD.
Sheriff Timothy Niven-Smith deferred sentencing until November 22 for reports.
In case you missed it…
Wednesday round-up — Buckfast thief’s very specific fine
Tuesday round-up — Delivery drink-driver and driving ‘f***y’
Monday round-up — Crash apology and stairs tumble
Friday round-up — Helping the sheriff and benefit fraud
Jail for Buckfast-fuelled driver who pulled police across Perth car park