The final court round-up of the year.
Practical joker PCR
A practical joker who stole his neighbour’s car “for a laugh” will be sentenced in the new year.
Russell Gray drove the keyless Ford Mondeo for about a mile, before abandoning it outside a restaurant in his home town of St Andrews when the engine cut out.
The 61-year-old was due to be sentenced at Dundee Sheriff Court, having previously admitted the theft at Roundhill Road on October 26.
But solicitor Lee Qumsieh said his client was isolating after suffering Covid-like symptoms.
He said a further deferral would give Gray further time to engage with a drug treatment testing order.
Sheriff John Rafferty deferred sentence until February 3.
He has ordered Gray to produce proof of a PCR test at the next hearing.
The court previously heard Gray’s neighbour had left his car’s engine running while taking in shopping.
He then watched from his window as Gray got into the driver’s seat.
Police were called and found the car outside Zizzi’s restaurant.
Officers later traced Gray at his home in Roundhill Road and asked him why he took the car.
“Because it was open,” he said, laughing.
Attempted murder petition
David Houston, 47, appeared in private in relation to an alleged Christmas Day attempted murder in Kirkcaldy.
He entered no plea and the case was continued for further examination.
Houston, of Kirkcaldy, was granted bail.
Police were called to the town’s Templehall area at around 7pm on Saturday.
A man, aged 39, was taken to hospital for treatment after the suspected stabbing.
Lock down incident trial ordered
A man is to stand trial following an incident which saw armed police lock down part of a Fife village.
William Davidson faces charges of wilful fire raising and acting in a threatening and abusive manner in Kinglassie on December 18.
The 46-year-old, of Lochgelly, appeared in private at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.
He entered no plea and was remanded.
A number of residents were evacuated during the “major incident” in the village’s Mina Crescent.
Firefighters rushed to the scene at 7.10am to extinguish a vehicle which was on fire, and were followed by a major police presence around 20 minutes later.
Rogues, robbers, motoring madness and a knobkerrie — The year in review in Fife’s sheriff courts
Sexual assault charge
A Dundee man has appeared in court accused of sexually assaulting a woman at Abertay University.
Paul Sheriffs denies allegations he kissed the woman on the lips without her consent on three occasions at a room at the Bell Street institution.
It is further alleged he touched the same woman on the leg at Dundee’s Counting House pub two days later.
Sheriffs, 26, is further accused of sexually assaulting the woman a fifth time in King Street, Dundee, by pressing his body against hers, kissing her forcibly on the lips and handling her breasts over her clothing, placing his hand inside her underwear and touching her intimately.
The alleged incidents happened between February 14 and 19, 2020, prosecutors say.
Sheriffs, of Forebank Road, denies four charges of sexual assault.
He was released on bail, with a trial fixed for March.
Record reading?
A Dundee drink-driver recorded one of Scotland’s highest breathalyser readings. Kerry Jane Duncan gave a reading of 188 mics – the legal limit is 22 mics. She was stopped on King’s Cross Road in Dundee when another motorist blocked her car until police arrived.
‘Are we really here for this?’
An exasperated sheriff at Kirkcaldy declared “are we really here for this?” after a supermarket complaint escalated.
Sheriff Timothy Niven-Smith hit out as Martin Nevey, 51, stood in the dock to admit behaving in a threatening and abusive manner.
Fiscal depute Freya Anderson-Ward said Nevey and his family had been asked to leave Leven’s Sainsburys days before this incident after attending with their dog.
He returned to make a complaint and asked to speak to a specific member of staff.
When that man refused to give his surname, Nevey began shouting and swearing at him.
Nevey’s solicitor admitted the incident has “got out of hand”.
Nevey, of Linksfield Street, Leven, admitted behaving in a threatening and abusive manner towards an employee at the town’s Sainsburys supermarket on November 16.
Sheriff Niven-Smith admonished him.
In case you missed it…
Wednesday round-up — FaceTime, dogs and knives
Monday round-up — Christmas gift bail breach
Thursday round-up — Two pint drink-driver and ‘looking for Bob’
Wednesday round-up — Dundee ‘car chase’ and Asda ban
Stalkers, gamblers, sudden deaths and a pie fight — the year in review in Dundee Sheriff Court
The court round-up will return on Monday January 3.
The full caseload of the Dundee Crime and Courts Team can be found here.
