A Methil man accused of starting a gas fire in his home was mentally ill at the time.
Steven Radke was alleged to have acted in a culpable and reckless manner at his home in September 2020.
However at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court he was found not guilty by reason of his mental health.
The 37-year-old had been in the care of psychiatrists, with a doctor writing to the court to say no further treatment was needed.
Radke, of Clyde Street, had faced a charge stating he culpably and recklessly removed the coupler of a supply at the gas box in the kitchen, allowing gas to escape and setting it on fire.
It was alleged the fire took effect and caused damage to his home and endangered the lived of the occupants of adjacent properties.
The charge further stated he had endangered the lives of police officers and fire officers who had to enter the property and remove him from it and extinguish the blaze.
Murder trial date set
The trial of a Dundee double murder accused has been set for January 30 next year. Andrew Innes is accused of killing Bennylyn Burke and her two-year-old daughter Jellica and burying their bodies in a property in Troon Avenue early in 2021.
Spitter
A Perth woman who spat in a schoolgirl’s face has been placed on supervision.
Michelle Gardiner was found guilty of assaulting the child following a trial at Perth Sheriff Court.
The attack happened in August 2020 at a property in the city’s Tulloch area.
Gardiner, 47, was cleared of allegations of pulling her young victim’s hair, struggling with her and pinning her to the ground.
Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said his client had been described as “minimising her involvement” in the incident during an interview with social workers.
“She tells me that this is an opportunity for her to receive help she otherwise may not be get the chance to engage with,” he said.
Sheriff Alison Michie told Gardiner: “You appear before me with no previous convictions and I consider the likelihood of you offending like this again is very low.
“Nevertheless, there are issues in your life which would benefit from supervision.”
She added: “This is sufficiently serious to merit a community payback order.”
Gardiner, of Tulloch Hill, was placed on supervision for a year.
Cannabis candy
Police raiding a Dundee house looking for child abuse material also uncovered a stash of cannabis-laced sweets. Allan ONeill admitted having two C-level child images and a hoard of drug-filled confectionery.
Kickers
Two men have admitted kicking another man in the head until he lost consciousness.
Leon Cuthbertson, 22, and Shaun Todd, 20, admitted assaulting a man in Buckhaven in April 2019.
At Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court, Cuthbertson, of Spitalfield Road, Inverkeithing, and Todd, of Croall Street Kelty, admitted attacking their victim on the town’s Michael Street.
They pursued him, causing him to fall to the ground, then repeatedly kicked him on the head and body until he lost consciousness, to his injury.
Sentence was deferred for reports.
Fake wake
Shoplifter Mhairi Taylor tried to get bail at Dundee Sheriff Court by claiming her father’s funeral was later the same day. Her solicitor was ordered to call the local cemetery and undertakers to stand up her story. There was no such funeral scheduled and was Taylor remanded.
Abuser
A Kirkcaldy man has admitted threatening to stab himself as part of a campaign of abuse against his partner.
William Allan appeared in Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court to admit abusing the woman between July and August last year
.The 34-year-old admitted engaging in a course of conduct which caused fear to the woman at two addresses in Kirkcaldy.
He admitted included logging into her email and social media accounts and pretending to be her on social media.
He also pinned her to a wall by her neck, accused her of being unfaithful, and brandished a knife where he threatened to stab himself.
Sentence was deferred for reports.
The full caseload of the Dundee Crime and Courts Team can be found here.
