The Monday court round-up.
Shop thief
A former Fife Spar worker who embezzled hundred of pounds from a now-closed branch will have to pay back the money he stole.
Dean Purves was not present at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court when he was sentenced.
Between June and October of 2017, 31-year-old Purves embezzled £500 from the convenience store in which he worked on St Clair Street in Kirkcaldy.
He had originally faced allegations he stole more than double that amount.
Self-isolating Purves, of Rolland Avenue in East Wemyss was ordered to pay the cash back by Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlane.
With the store now closed, Purves must pay compensation to CJ Lang and Son’s headquarters in Longtown Road in Dundee.
Solicitor Kerr Sneddon explained the payments would be made at £5 a week.
Snapchat abuse
A 26-year-old Fife man told a 12-year-old over Snapchat that he would “rape her”.
The girl told police she had stated her age to Joshua Nelson during their exchange, in which the Cowdenbeath man also said wrote “I’m going to get you pregnant”.
Nelson denied he knew the girl’s age and screenshots could not be produced to prove he did.
However, he pled guilty to communicating indecently with the child and was placed on the Sex Offenders Register before sentencing next month.
Mobile home trial
A fresh trial date has been set for a Tayside businessman accused of bullying pensioners into buying mobile homes they did not want.
Caravan park owner Cresswell Welsh faces allegations he conned one elderly victim out of almost £80,000.
The 58-year-old is accused of lying about the age of second hand mobile homes he was selling and the annual cost of fees on the site.
Welch, of Seaton View, Arbroath, denies all charges.
His case called in his absence at Perth Sheriff Court.
Welch was due to stand trial next week but the court allowed an adjournment for his defence team to make further enquiries.
The case will call again on July 4.
Poisoning death probe
The death of student Thomas Hill in a remote cottage in the Angus glens in 2018 is to be the subject of a fatal accident inquiry.
Mr Hill died of carbon monoxide poisoning and the cottage owner and operator have been fined for their role in the death.
However, a sheriff has ruled it is the public interest to now hold a further probe into the incident.
A preliminary hearing will take place in Forfar in March.
The full caseload of the Dundee Crime and Courts Team can be found here.
