A Dundee thug who grabbed his partner by the neck in the car park of Monifeith McDonalds has been jailed for 200 days.
John Rowlands, of Callander Gardens, appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court by video link from HMP Perth having previously admitted the assault.
On September 28 this year, Rowlands seized the woman’s throat. He was on bail at the time.
Fiscal depute Sam Craib said the attack, in a car, was filmed by a shocked onlooker.
Sheriff Krista Johnston backdated the sentence to October 27 and told the 35-year-old: “You have a dreadful record of analogous behaviour.
“I’m not persuaded that there’s an alternative but to impose a custodial sentence.”
The sheriff also imposed a non-harassment order to protect Rowlands’ victim for two years.
Uni terror threat
A Nigerian Masters student faces jail and deportation after a jury found him guilty of making terrorist threats to bring mass murder and carnage to Dundee University. Somtochukwu Okwuoha claimed he had enlisted ISIS to help bomb the institution and told staff he planned to target the city in a chemical warfare attack.
Farewell bash
An Angus joiner who is emigrating next week will not be able to drive when he arrives in Australia after admitting causing a drunken smash.
Christopher Carson, from Kellas, was banned for 13 months after he pled guilty to driving carelessly, then refusing to provide breath samples at Dundee police HQ.
Carson had been consuming farewells drinks before crashing in Kellas Road, Wellbank, on October 22.
Fiscal depute Sam Craib told Forfar Sheriff Court: “At 11pm, two witnesses were in their home addresses and they heard a loud bang – metal on metal.”
Dad-of-five Carson had crashed his pickup truck into a parked car, shunting it into another vehicle, damaging them all.
Carson’s airbags had been deployed and smoke was coming from the vehicle.
Police found an open can of Tennents lager in the cup holder in the central console.
Carson failed a police roadside breath test and was taken to West Bell Street station, where he again refused, saying it was “a trap.”
Solicitor Doug McConnell said: “He is due to emigrate with his family to Australia next week.
“He is a family man, his partner was in the car.
“They both had been drinking with friends as a goodbye.
“He’s a self-employed joiner – that’s what he’ll do when he gets to Australia.
“There was about £8,000-worth of tools in the van.
“He didn’t want to leave them. It’s a stupid decision on his behalf.”
Sheriff Krista Johnston fined Carson £500, plus a victim surcharge, and said: “I’m sure you appreciate what a mess you’ve made.”
Left injured pup untreated
A Dunfermline heroin addict “accidentally stood” on his puppy and left it with an untreated broken leg for days. Stuart Connolly’s Staffordshire Bull Terrier-type pup was only taken to the vet after police went to his house with a drugs warrant and noticed it’s injury.
‘Disgusting’ police assault
A Fife man who repeatedly wiped blood from his hand onto a police officer has been told to carry out 115 hours of unpaid work.
James Codd, 28, of Struan Place, Inverkeithing, appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court for sentencing, having admitted the assault on February 5 last year at his home address.
Procurator fiscal depute Laura McManus told the court police had reason to look for Codd and found him with a fresh cut to his hand.
Officers placed handcuffs on him as a precautionary measure and took him home.
One of the constables went to remove the cuffs and Codd wiped fresh blood from the cut on the officer’s hand and he was warned not to do it again.
The fiscal said: “(This) prompted him to laugh and again he wiped blood from his hand on to the PC’s right hand, then he licked the blood from his own hand”.
Defence lawyer Alan Davie described it as a particularly unpleasant offence but said his client was heavily under the influence of alcohol and in an emotional state, and had self-harmed shortly before.
The solicitor acknowledged the police dealt with him in the appropriate way.
Sheriff Francis Gill told Codd his behaviour was “disgusting” and sentenced him to 115 hours of unpaid work.
Rapist jailed
A rapist from Angus guilty of attacking two women stretching back 50 years has been jailed for nine years. Brian Matthews carried out the crimes in Arbroath and Kirriemuir.
15 years for abuse
George Blackwood, 40, from Kirkcaldy was sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexual offences and violence against women and children in Fife.
He has also been placed on the Sex Offenders Register at the High Court in Edinburgh
Blackwood was found guilty of sexually abusing and assaulting women and children between 2001 and 2022.
Detective Constable David Adamson, from Fife’s Public Protection Unit, said “George Blackwood is a dangerous individual who will now face the consequences of his despicable actions.
“I commend the strength of the victims for coming forward and hope the sentence will bring some comfort as they try to move forward.
“I would urge anyone who has been the victim of sexual violence to come forward, no matter how much time has passed, and report it to police.
“Be assured we will fully investigate and you will be supported by police and our partner agencies.”
Crucial evidence examined
After wife-killer John Lizanec was found guilty of murder this week, The Courier examined the key pieces of evidence which led to his capture and conviction.
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