A Fife man stole two mobile phones with a combined value of £2,618 while he was working at Amazon.
Michael England, 39, appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court to plead guilty to the theft at the online retailer’s fulfilment centre at Dunfermline, on March 31 last year.
Prosecutor Amy Robertson told the court each phone handset was valued at £1,309.
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis adjourned sentencing on England, of Valley Gardens, Kirkcaldy, until April 17 to obtain background reports.
Sexual remarks
Retired firefighter Joseph Buick has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register after being found guilty of the sexual assault of a woman in a Broughty Ferry pub. He made sexual remarks in The Royal Arch on Brook Street last year and sheriff did not believe his claims the interactions with the woman were consensual.
Cross at Maltese
An Arbroath chef who racially abused his elderly Maltese neighbour has been fined.
Adam Craig, 27, appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court to admit acting in a threatening or abusive manner at Howard’s Street, where he used to live, on August 7 last year.
He admitted repeatedly shouting, swearing and making racially offensive remarks at 71-year-old Charles Falzon, who was born on the Mediterranean island.
Solicitor Billy Rennie said Craig has since sold the property adjoining his victim’s, at a loss, and moved back in with his parents.
Sheriff Derek Reekie fined Craig £400, plus a £20 victim surcharge.
He said: “Bad enough shouting and swearing, but with a racial aggravation it obviously makes it more serious.”
Police paedophile sting
A Fife paedophile caught in an online police sting has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register. Ernest Nicholson, 58, appeared for sentencing from custody at Dunfermline Sheriff Court after earlier pleading guilty to communicating sexually with what he thought was a 12-year-old girl and sending an explicit picture..
Ex-player shoplifted
A former footballer is awaiting sentencing after he admitted chasing and threatening supermarket staff.
John Carling stole groceries and other items before targeting workers at Tesco on Clepington Road and Asda Myrekirk.
Carling, 49, formerly on the books at Dundee and Arbroath, was convicted in 2021 of trying to attack a man with a baseball bat.
He pled guilty at Dundee Sheriff Court to stealing groceries from Tesco before threatening a staff member, shouting, swearing and making derogatory comments on November 4 last year.
On July 22 2023, Carling, of Burnside Walk, stole clothing, meat, earphones and vegetables from the Asda supermarket before chasing and trying to hold a female staff member.
According to his solicitor, the offences were related to a deterioration in Carling’s mental health.
Sheriff Garry Sutherland deferred sentence until next month for social work reports to be prepared.
Prison napalm threat
Abusive Fife boyfriend, Darren Taylor, who told one of his victims he was “boiling the kettle for her”, before threateningly putting sugar in it, has been jailed for three-and-a-half years. He inferred he would pour the “prison napalm” over the woman after she told him she wanted to end their relationship.
Drink-drive search
A sheriff has questioned a Fife businesswoman’s claim that she got behind the wheel while nearly three times the drink-drive limit to search for her missing partner.
Terri Walker, 48, had been staying at Aberfeldy Caravan Park when she was pulled over by police in the small hours of June 28 last year.
Perth Sheriff Court heard officers were called to the site following reports of a domestic disturbance and when they arrived, they spotted Walker on nearby Dunkeld Street in an Audi A3.
Fiscal depute Elizabeth Hodgson said she appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and returned a positive breath sample (63mics/ 22).
Solicitor Pauline Cullerton, defending, said there had been no domestic incident involving her client and her partner.
“They had been drinking together that evening before heading to bed to watch videos.
“The next thing Ms Walker remembers is a bang on the side of the camper van, which woke her up.
“She noticed her partner wasn’t there.
“Foolishly, she decided to get in the car and go look for him.”
The court heard Walker, who has a previous conviction for drink-driving, runs a gardening business and will not be able to work without a car.
Walker, of Tulloch Court, Cowdenbeath, pled guilty to driving with excess alcohol.
Sheriff Jennifer Bain KC told her: “I find your explanation difficult to understand.
“It seems strange that you did not try to contact your partner by phone, or attempt to trace him on foot – especially given that he does not drive.”
Referring to her earlier conviction, the sheriff said: “You clearly have not learned from your mistakes.”
Walker was fined £630 and banned from driving for three years.
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