It’s been another busy week at courts across Tayside and Fife.
Threats to kill after cannabis find
A Dundee man made death threats in front of police officers after they discovered his home-grown cannabis plants.
Police raided Kevin Thoms‘ property at Murrayfield Terrace, and discovered four mature plants and several smaller ones.
The 50-year-old appeared at the city’s sheriff court and pleaded guilty to producing the Class B drug on December 15, last year.
Fiscal depute Emma Farmer said investigators discovered the plants inside a room covered by two tents.
She said the estimated value was between £200 and £600, but she said it was not clear if that covered the whole crop or each plant.
Thoms also pled guilty to behaving in an abusive or threatening manner.
Ms Farmer said: “The accused was arrested and put in a police vehicle.
“Whilst inside, he began uttering threats to kill and stab other witness.”
Thoms was cautioned and charged, and told police: “I didn’t say nothing”.
According to his solicitor, Thoms did not know how much cannabis was at his house.
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael deferred sentence for background reports until February 16.
Alleged dog attack
A man and woman have been charged by police after a cyclist was allegedly bitten by a German Shepherd at a Perthshire beauty spot.
Kathleen Normandin and Masou Hayatdavoodi are accused of breaching the Dangerous Dogs Act.
It is alleged that dog Ana was “dangerously out of control” and chased and bit cyclist Gillian Ramsay on the body, to her injury, at Alyth Hill on June 26, last year.
Prosecutors say Normandin, 36, was the dog’s owner, while Hayatdavoodi, 40, was in charge of it at the time.
The pair, both of Wester Craigellie, Blairgowrie, did not require to attend Perth Sheriff Court when their case called on Friday.
Fiscal Andrew Harding confirmed to Sheriff William Wood that both pleaded not guilty.
A trial was set for July 25, with an intermediate hearing on June 20.
Illicit files
A Cardenden man has admitted to possessing child abuse files.
Mark Fagan pleaded guilty to charges of taking or making the files and possessing them between October 10 and 21 in 2020.
Fagan, 38, had the images at his home address in Derran Drive.
Sheriff William Gilchrist deferred sentencing for a social work report to be prepared.
Fagan, who has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register, is due back at Dunfermline Sheriff Court on February 9.
Barking dogs
A Kincardine man brandished a knife and threatened to kill a woman and her dogs after their barking woke him up.
John Urbaniak threatened the woman after she had tied up her pets outside a shop near his home in the early evening.
The specialist contract cleaner had gone to bed as his job required a 4am start.
Bottle-wielding man sparks alert
A parent was confronted by a bottle-wielding man outside a Fife primary school.
Kenneth Grindlay was spotted in the playground of Dunfermline’s Commercial Primary School and later told police he “had the devil in him”.
Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard the man he targeted had to be ushered into the building by concerned staff.
Fiscal depute Azrah Yousaf said: “At 4.40pm the parent saw the accused in possession of a bottle.
“The accused approached the parent and asked him to fight.”
He said: “The parent was buzzed into the school by staff.
“Staff saw the accused in the playground and he was shouting ‘f***’ continually.
“He was seen to continue to swear while in possession of the bottle and was challenging parents to fight.”
Mr Yousaf said: “One parent attempted to calm the accused down.
“The accused left and entered a public park.”
She said police were called and Grindlay was arrested.
Ms Yousaf continued: “Whilst in police custody he was rambling about the devil being in him and that he was in a really dark place.”
Solicitor Zander Flett, defending, said the 37-yer-old had a number of mental health conditions, including a paranoia disorder.
He said that Grindlay may have believed that the parent was the school’s janitor.
Grindlay, of Mackie Place, Dunfermline, admitted behaving in a threatening and abusive manner at the town’s Commercial Primary School on November 18.
Sentence was deferred until next month for reports.
Row over tossed cigarettes
A Perth man who attacked his girlfriend after she threw away his cigarettes was later caught drink-driving.
John Paterson‘s night descended into chaos after a row with his then-partner at her home in Auchterarder.
The 30-year-old, who had been drinking wine and cider, pushed his girlfriend causing her to fall to the floor.
A neighbour overheard the commotion and gave Paterson a lift home to Perth.
However, Paterson decided to drive back down the A9.
He took his flatmate’s car keys and set off in his Vauxhall Astra, which was parked outside.
Officers, who were investigating the assault, stopped Paterson near Broxden Roundabout after he had driven just a few yards from Weavers Well Crescent.
He was found to be nearly three times the legal limit.
Drink driver caught on camera
A drunken motorist who drove into the path of oncoming traffic on the A90 has been banned from the road.
Lisa Lindridge was nearly five times the legal limit when she travelled through Tayside and Fife on November 11, last year.
The 50-year-old, of North Street, Freuchie, Cupar was reported to police after a concerned witness saw her erratic driving.
She admitted driving dangerously along the A90, between Perth and Junction nine, the A91 near Strathmiglo and the A912.
Lindridge appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court on Friday for sentencing.
Fiscal depute Emma Farmer said: “At around 8.30m, witness observed the accused’s vehicle driving erratically, crossing over the lanes and into oncoming traffic.
“Witness followed the vehicle as it exited junction M90. It clipped the edge of a vehicle at that point.
“The witness’s daughter began filming the vehicle continually driving over the line.”
Police traced Lindridge and cautioned and charged her.
Her solicitor told Sheriff Alastair Carmichael that his client had been having significant personal issues that had led to the error in judgement.
“She accepts that she will be disqualified,” he said.
Lindridge was banned from driving for a year and fined £210.
The full caseload of the Dundee Crime and Courts Team can be found here.
