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Wednesday court round-up — Naked robbery and author in cuffs

A round-up of court cases from Tayside and Fife.

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An author spent a night behind bars after failing to show for sentencing for throwing water over chip shop customers disturbing her as they queued in a lane outside her Fife home.

Annie Harrower-Gray, 68, was arrested and detained in a cell overnight when she failed to turn up after being found guilty of breaching the peace.

The court previously heard how she targeted customers as they waited in line outside The Wee Chippie in Anstruther.

The fed-up pensioner also grappled with a neighbour and blocked people from using the lane.

Harrower-Gray was found guilty of acting in a threatening or abusive manner in Shore Street, Anstruther, on July 19, August 3 and September 16 2021.

Annie Harrower-Gray
Annie Harrower-Gray at Dundee Sheriff Court in August.

Harrower-Gray had been ordered to appear for sentence on September 25 but she failed to turn up and was arrested on a warrant.

Sheriff George Way placed Harrower-Gray – who was led into the dock at Dundee Sheriff Court in handcuffs – under social work supervision for 12 months.

He said: “This has all arisen out of an unfortunate clash of personalities.

“She doesn’t like the people in the shop and they don’t like her – that’s very obvious.”

Over-the-limit footballer

An Arbroath FC footballer has been banned from the roads after being caught over the alcohol limit after a club awards ceremony. Joao Balde had broken down on the Kingsway in Dundee after attending the Red Lichties’ end of season event at Carnoustie Golf Hotel.

Arbroath midfielder Joao Balde has made an impact since signing in January.
Arbroath midfielder Joao Balde. Image: SNS

Naked robbery

A drug dealer robbed another woman by putting her hand inside her bra, before pulling down her leggings and pants to steal £70.

Gillian Smith attacked the other woman by pulling her hair and repeatedly punching and kicking her on the body, before stripping her clothing to rob her.

Smith, 38, has been remanded in custody after she admitted the assault and robbery in West Abbey Street, Arbroath, on May 8 this year.

She admitted seizing her victim by the hair, trying to hit her with a lamp and dragging her into a bathroom to take her clothes off as she looked for cash.

Smith, a prisoner at Polmont Brightons, also admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine on the A92 Arbroath to Dundee road on the same date.

She further admitted having heroin with intent to supply it to others on June 18 and sentence was deferred by Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith for background reports.

Solicitor Mike Short, defending, told Dundee Sheriff Court: “She has been the victim of violence for many, many years.

“She was in a position where she had to do certain things she didn’t want to.

“She knows she has to pay the price for her behaviour but hoped the court will take into account the difficult life she has had.

“Certain pressure was put on her.

“This is likely to be a custodial sentence and she knows that.

“She accepts she has made bad choices – she went down a path she didn’t want to.”

Rape inside marriage message

A survivor of an unrepentant rapist has bravely spoken out against her attacker to enforce the message that rape inside marriage is still rape. The woman spent around a year married to John Mitchell from Dundee, who was jailed for 12 years after a court convicted him of a catalogue of sickening crimes.

John Mitchell, Stirling court
John Mitchell was sentenced at the High Court in Stirling.

Christmas ban after concert row

A music fan has been banned from spending Christmas with his partner after hurling abuse at her during an open air concert in Dundee.

Liam Hutchison, 46, has been made the subject of a four week non-harassment order after the bust-up at a gig by James at Slessor Gardens.

Sheriff John Rafferty placed Hutchison on a 7pm-to-5am curfew for four months and deferred sentence for good behaviour.

He said: “If you are of good behaviour you will not be sent to jail.

“If you keep drinking you will not only damage your health and relationships, you will be staggering into jail.”

Liam Hutchison
Liam Hutchison.

Hutchison, from Thornton, Fife, admitted acting in a threatening or abusive manner towards his partner between July 29 and 31 this year, uttering threats of violence and sending derogatory text messages, as well as breaching a bail order by contacting her on August 5.

Fiscal depute Sarah High told Dundee Sheriff Court: “On the evening before this the accused and the complainer had been at a concert in Slessor Gardens.

“They had argued at the concert and as a result she had left the AirBnB in which they were staying.”

He called her “constantly” and when she eventually picked up, Hutchison told her: “I feel like I want to punch you.”

She then received text messages from him, calling her “a bitch, slut and s***ebag,” and telling her she “loves getting abused.”

Hutchison later contacted her again and claimed he felt as if he was dying from a heart attack.

Police turned up and found nothing was wrong with him.

Crowds for James at Slessor Gardens
Queues building for James at Slessor Gardens. Image: Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson

The court was told Hutchison was “mortified and deeply regretful” and had very little recollection of kicking off at the concert.

The court also heard his partner did not want a non-harassment order imposed.

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