A Monifieth man has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register after being caught with an indecent image of a child.
Jack Youngs appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court to admit possessing the single image between August and October of 2022.
The 20-year-old, of Green Lane, was placed on the Register and sentencing was deferred until April 11 for reports.
Taxi terror
A pair of taxi drivers have been banned from driving after travelling at high speeds, side-by-side-across the Tay Road Bridge. Thomas Naismith and Mohammed Iqbal had i initially been accused of racing across the span towards Dundee, before Naismith lost control and crashed into a barrier on the Perth off-slip.
River throw threat
An Angus domestic offender who threatened to throw his partner in a river has avoided jail after a court heard there’s been “a fair bit of water under the bridge” since the offence.
Previously at Forfar Sheriff Court, Callum Milne, 30, of Annat Road, Montrose, admitted a six-month campaign of abuse towards his partner.
He admitted abusing the woman between Christmas Day 2021 and May 18 2022 at various locations in Brechin.
He acted in a threatening manner, called the woman insulting and derogatory names and stated he would refuse to let her leave the property they were in.
Milne injured the woman by striking her with a backpack and blamed her for his poor attendance at work.
He also threatened to smash a slate over her head and to throw her in a river.
At a sentencing hearing, solicitor Nick Markowski said: “The parties have reconciled. They live as a family.
“There’s been a fair bit of water under the bridge since these offences.”
Sheriff Garry Sutherland imposed two years of supervision and ordered Milne to complete the Fergus Programme, aimed at rehabilitating domestic offenders.
The sentence was imposed as a direct alternative to custody.
Financial gymnastics
A Tayside gymnastics club treasurer admitted embezzling more than £30,000 from the group to fund a gambling habit. Mhairi Ovenstone, 48, made thousands of pounds worth of transfers from Pegasus Gymnastics Club in Newport to her own bank accounts.
Non-harassment breach
An abusive ex-boyfriend broke a strict court order banning him from contacting his former partner when he emailed her and told her: “Don’t ever contact me.”
Grant Stainer was issued with a non-harassment order last month after a court heard how he phoned his ex 326 times as he battered and booted her front door in the middle of the night.
The window fitter left more than 150 voicemail messages, ranging from horrific threats to explicit pornographic innuendos and insults.
Stainer, 51, of Moulin Crescent, Perth, returned to the dock after a night in the cells and admitted breaching the 12-month order on Sunday.
His solicitor Linda Clark said: “This was in essence an email from the accused, telling her ‘don’t ever contact me again’.”
Stainer wrote: “You’ve taken me for a ride and I’ve had enough.”
Ms Clark said her client had made several complaints to Police Scotland about unwanted contact.
Sheriff Alison McKay told Stainer: “It seems that this was an error on your part but it is quite a serious breach given I had only just imposed the order.”
Stainer, of Moulin Crescent, will be sentenced next month.
‘Nasty spider’ appeals
A paedophile who once appeared on the BBC quiz University Challenge has asked appeals court judges to overturn his conviction for preying on young girls. Former St Andrews student Andrew Newton, 31, was branded a “nasty perverted little spider” by a sheriff after he was convicted of sending indecent messages to girls as young as 12 and attempting to persuade them to meet him for sex.
Racist spitter
A woman spat in the face of a police officer after being arrested for making vile racist remarks in Dundee.
Alannah Morgan, 52, made a series of racially offensive slurs to the women on the city’s Hawkhill.
Prosecutor Lana Norrie described how the women were walking when they were approached by Morgan.
“They initially could not hear what the accused was saying.
“The accused began saying ‘chinky’, ‘no immigrants’, ‘you don’t belong here’, ‘go back to your own country’ and ‘speak English’.
“The witnesses contacted the police.”
After being traced a month later and taken to police headquarters, Morgan became aggressive and spat on the left cheek of an officer.
Morgan, of Bonnethill Court, admitted charges of making racially offensive remarks and spitting on November 6 and December 11 2022 respectively.
Solicitor Billy Watt said his client had been making progress in the community after moving from an address where she had been subjected to abuse.
Mr Watt said: “In 2022, Alannah Morgan was suffering from poor mental health and having a lot of difficulties.
“There’s certainly been a sea change to that behaviour.
“She has been abused in the local community and moved to a new property and there seems to have been a marked improvement in her conduct.”
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael told Morgan: “These are two serious charges. Normally – especially the assault on the police officer – would earn a prison sentence.
“However, clearly you were suffering from some kind of psychological situation.”
As an alternative to custody, Morgan was ordered to perform 120 hours of unpaid work, consecutive to a recently-imposed unpaid work order of 100 hours.
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