The leader of a central belt drugs gang has been caught with an unauthorised mobile phone at Castle Huntly.
Sean McGovern was jailed for 16 years and nine months in 2009 after he admitted dealing heroin and being involved in a gun attack on an Edinburgh pub.
The 38-year-old was back in the dock at Perth Sheriff Court after guards at Tayside’s open prison found a phone in his cell.
McGovern, who was recalled to prison, admitted having a communications device behind bars on February 2 this year.
Fiscal depute Andrew Harding said prison staff were on mobile patrol when they were approached by other inmates.
“They alerted them to an issue within the accused’s cell.
“When the officers entered the room they saw a small mobile phone on the ground.”
A solicitor for McGovern told the court: “At the time he was suffering from ill health and was having seizures.
“He was trying to keep in touch with his family.
“But this has ultimately cost him and he was downgraded from Castle Huntly.”
Jailing McGovern for six months, Sheriff Euan Duthie said: “This is not acceptable.”
Phone groomer
A former bus driver from Dundee who used a secret mobile phone to groom youngsters in chatrooms has been jailed for 30 months. Ronald Young, most recently of Forfar, was previously banned from having any contact with children. He has also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
Window banger
A Milnathort woman has admitted causing a disturbance in her next-door neighbour’s garden.
Rhona Lamont banged on Gordon Muir’s door, swore and threw a lamp at his window.
The 40-year-old, of Whyte Place, appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner on June 4, this year.
The complainer was at home when he spotted Lamont entering his garden through a back gate, the court heard.
“He did not want to engage with the accused, so he stayed out sight,” said fiscal depute Andrew Harding.
“She began to bang loudly on the door and then on a window.
“This went on for about 10 minutes, before she began throwing items at Mr Muir’s living room window including a lamp.”
The accused’s mother attended at the property and saw her daughter throwing items and calling Mr Muir a “c***”.
Sheriff Euan Duthie deferred sentence for background reports.
More full frontal than Full Monty
Three Dundee carers have gone on trial accused of taking vulnerable adults to an “inappropriate” male strip show Christmas night out. Caitlin Gibb, Shannon Briggs and Samantha Brunton deny ill-treating or neglecting the two residents they took to the show at Baxter’s Function Suite in Dundee in 2018.
Child offence petition
A 19-year-old Fife man has appeared in court accused of a sexual offence on a young child.
Craig Hamilton appeared in private at the city’s sheriff court to face the allegation and a second charge of assault.
Hamilton, whose address in court was given as Dunfermline, made no plea and was committed for further examination and released on bail.
His next court appearance is to be confirmed.
Tennis smash
Irish tennis ace Peter Corrie has admitted causing a head-on smash in rural Kinross-shire. He had no licence or insurance when he smashed his girlfriend’s Audi into an oncoming car on the A91as he travelled to a tennis tournament in St Andrews.
Hospital spitter
A Fife woman taken to A&E for treatment after overdosing on drugs abused hospital staff and spat in a security guard’s face.
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard Claire Tidman, of the town’s Hendry Crescent, was taken to Victoria Hospital after taking too much paracetamol and gabapentin and had also drunk a bottle of vodka.
Procurator fiscal depute Jamie Hilland told the court Tidman was aggressive to the ambulance crew when she arrived at the hospital on October 28 2020.
When three nurses stepped in to try and defuse the situation, she started shouting and making abusive comments towards them.
Two security guards were called for assistance and they became the focus of her unsavoury remarks.
In fear of their own safety and that of other patients, the security guards decided to restrain Tidman.
The fiscal depute said: “The accused spat at (one of the guards), the saliva landing on his nose, mouth and eyes.
“The accused dropped to the ground and began screaming hysterically.”
As the security guards and nurses tried to restrain her, Tidman made threats toward hospital staff that when she got out she was going to “come and see them and their families.”
Tidman was given sedatives but continued to act aggressively until they took effect.
The 36-year-old pled guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner and assaulting a hospital security officer by spitting in his face.
Tidman’s defence lawyer said she had no previous convictions and has a complex history of mental health and past trauma.
Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlane adjourned sentencing until July 14.
Firm fined just £5k after Fife man died in 30-foot plunge during Longannet demolition
The full caseload of the Dundee Crime and Courts Team can be found here.
