Perth Prison is far from immune when it comes to crimes.
Cocaine controller
A roofer who sent drugs into a jail inside a Playstation controller was caught because Post Office staff recognised him as a regular customer.
Roy Ainslie had posted the package, containing £840 of cocaine, from the local branch of the Post Office close to his home.
Ainslie, 44, of Cairneyhill, Fife, admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine at Perth Prison between July 8 and 12, 2020.
Fiscal depute Michael Sweeney told Perth Sheriff Court prison officers working in the area where they screen packages x-rayed a package addressed Scott Flynn that appeared to be a Playstation controller.
He said they suspected it contained drugs and three wraps of cocaine were found when it was opened.
“It was traced back and inquiries were carried out at the Post Office it had been posted from.
“The postmistress stated she had served the accused.
“She knew him by name as he was a frequent visitor to the Post Office and resided nearby.”
He handed himself in when contacted and admitted the offence.
“He said he received the parcels from another and it was an act of stupidity,” said Mr Sweeney.
Sheriff Euan Duthie deferred sentence and said: “He should take this opportunity to put his affairs in order before he returns.
“A custodial sentence is a strong likelihood.”
Tuna meltdown
Graham Evans, 43, of Rosyth was given community service and supervision for a bizarre Perth Prison protest against tuna fish. The hungry then-prisoner climbed to the rafters and began dropping chunks of plaster to the floor below because he was fed up of eating the canned fish every other day.
Killer driver’s prison phone
A killer driver who set off a prison metal detector claimed it was reacting to pins put in his leg after the fatal high speed crash.
However, Martin Cameron was jailed for a further four months after Perth Sheriff Court was told the device would not pick up such medical pins.
Cameron finally admitted it had detected an illicit mobile phone he obtained in jail.
Cameron was serving four years and eight months for killing his friend Shaun Allan, 26, in a high speed crash near Inverness in 2018.
Cameron had already been banned from the road three times in five years before causing the death of his friend near Farr.
He was thought to be driving at between 60 to 70mph in a 40mph zone when he crashed, having earlier been seen driving at 125 miles per hour.
He pled guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at the High Court in Edinburgh in 2019.
In July, Scott Cameron, was given community service as a direct alternative to prison for trying to sneak drugs into the prison for his younger brother.
The 29-year-old, of Aird Crescent, Kirkhill, Inverness-shire admitted being concerned in the supply of 290 etizolam tablets at the prison.
His solicitor said: “Mr Cameron was contacted by persons unknown and given instructions to post this package on to an inmate at Perth.
“He had been told that if he didn’t do this: ‘It would not be good for anyone.’
“If that was a threat to his brother, we don’t know.”
If drugs are illegal, why are there legal limits for drug-driving?
Jilted lover
A jilted lover bombarded his former partner with nearly 2,000 messages in two months after she ended their 14-month relationship.
William Hutton‘s refusal to leave the woman alone left her “drained and broken.”
Perth Sheriff Court was told he had made around 1,000 phone calls and sent 600 emails, as well as leaving 150 voicemail messages.
Fiscal depute Michael Sweeney said: “The accused did not take the break-up well.
“She decided to block the accused due to the sheer amount of messages she received.
“She made it abundantly clear she wished no further contact.
“She received countless call, around 15 a day.
“There was the same volume of voicemails.
“He was mostly declaring his love for her and asking to speak to her.
“She believed he was making threats to harm himself.
“She was getting 20 emails on a daily basis.
“The complainer described herself as drained and broken.
“It caused a huge amount of stress and anxiety and had a detrimental effect on her general health.”
Hutton, 33, of Cairns Place, Perth, admitted engaging in a course of conduct which caused fear or alarm between March 15 and May 28, 2020.
Sheriff Euan Duthie granted Hutton bail and deferred sentence for reports.
Drugs gang
Three members of a county lines drugs gang have been jailed for nearly six years after they admitted their bid to flood Perthshire with more than £65,000 worth of heroin. Blayne Gray and Max Donovan from Liverpool and Perth man George Crone were watched by police – who also recovered thousands of pounds in cash – as they carried out their illicit operation.
Biker’s Harley Davidson smashed into £150,000 Jaguar E-Type on rural Perthshire road
The full caseload of the Dundee Crime and Courts Team can be found here.
