A Perth prisoner who repeatedly performed a solo sex act while staring at a female guard has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register pending sentencing later.
Ryan McLaughlin was jailed for shouting violent threats and making racist remarks during an outburst in Dalgety Bay.
Days into his nine-month sentence, staff at HMP Perth were tasked with carrying out regular welfare checks – every 15 minutes – on the 35-year-old.
Fiscal depute Stephanie Hendry told Perth Sheriff Court that during the evening of February 23, the accused appeared to be settled in his bed but just after 1am, was walking about in his cell naked.
A female guard looked in and saw him sitting on the edge of his bed, performing a sex act. He shouted: “Miss, miss.”
Ms Hendry said: “He continued this behaviour when several other welfare checks were carried out.”
McLaughlin, who represented himself after his solicitor withdrew from acting, confirmed a guilty plea to a charge of engaging in sexual activity in presence of the female officer.
He ranted in the dock and made references to the Catholic Church, while arguing with GeoAmey staff.
He also argued with Sheriff William Wood when he deferred sentence for reports.
“I will be sentenced today or nothing at all,” he said, before being led away.
Facebook grifter jailed
A Facebook grifter who conned customers out of thousands of pounds for goods and services he never delivered has been jailed. Crooked Edward Townsley promised roof repairs, gardening work, a summer house and games consoles to unsuspecting punters online, taking money but not providing the promised work or items.
Cannabis cab
A lorry driver caught under the influence of cannabis near the Queensferry Crossing has been fined £150 and banned from the road for a year.
Stuart Hamilton, 54, appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court to admit driving a lorry with excess THC in his system (3mics/2) on the M90 on October 18 2022.
Prosecutor Amy Robertson told the court police received an anonymous call about a male driving a HGV and a smell of cannabis coming from the vehicle.
She said it had left the Rosyth area and was travelling towards Glasgow and a marked police vehicle near the Queensferry Crossing stopped the lorry.
The fiscal depute said: “Whilst near the cab area, police constables noticed a smell of cannabis coming from within”.
Hamilton gave a saliva sample, which produced a positive indication for the drug.
Defence lawyer Nicholas Scullion said Hamilton, of Kings Drive, New Stevenston, Motherwell, was not a daily user of cannabis but was self-medicating after a family tragedy.
Mr Scullion said Hamilton had been with a company for eight years and the incident cost him his job and he will now lose agency work as well.
Bail breach for wedding
A Dundee man who knocked his boyfriend unconscious and left him covered in teethmarks in a “sustained and unprovoked” assault was locked up for flouting a strict court order by marrying him just days later. Sean McLeod, 37, spent the night after the assault in the cells but was released on bail on the condition he stayed away from his victim. He breached this 20 days later to get married.
Lucky escape
A landscape gardener has been fined £2,000 after causing a tree to smash a driver’s windscreen on a Fife road.
The driver escaped uninjured from the incident, which saw a felled tree land on his car during work on Craigtoun Road in St Andrews last year.
Donald Young admitted causing the accident after no signage or traffic management measures were put in place.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard how Young was in charge of work to chop down trees near Craigtoun Meadows Holiday Park on December 4.
Prosecutor Michael Robertson said: “One of them had fallen onto his car and smashed his windscreen.
“The complainer also stated there was no warning signs for these works and there was tree debris on the road.”
Police arrived to confirm this and the road was closed “immediately” after officers heard trees cracking, fearing they too would fall on the road.
Young, 47, of Methilhaven Road in Buckhaven, said he was responsible for cutting down the trees while two other workers were responsible for traffic management.
He pled guilty to culpably and recklessly causing a felled tree to strike the car causing damage and endangering the safety of the driver.
Solicitor Lee Qumsieh said previously: “Ultimately he (Young) is responsible.
“Fortunately, there was no injury here. This seems to be something that has gone wrong as opposed to a disregard for other road users.”
Sheriff Gregor Murray slapped Young with a £2,000 fine.
Debt collector
A debt collector went to a St Andrews couple’s home with a dog and threatened them with “serious repercussions” unless they paid off £1,150 owed by their son. Jamie MacDonald, 32, of Anstruther, claimed he would get “lots of other people” to the house if they did not pay.
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