A Dundee man accused of carrying out cyber attacks on the Bank of Israel and FBI has been left unable to play video games after police seized his computer, a court heard.
Coray Tierney will stand trial accused of breaching the Computer Misuse Act later this year.
He denies committing unauthorised actions in relation to computers, in the form of denial of service cyber attacks against computers belonging to a string of high-profile organisations.
From his home in Yarrow Terrace, Dundee, 23-year-old Tierney is accused of carrying out strikes against HSBC, the Bank of Israel, the FBI, computer antivirus giants Malwarebytes and Epic Games Inc – the firm behind hit game Fortnite – between December 2021 and March 2023.
At a hearing at Dundee Sheriff Court, Tierney’s trial was adjourned until September 8 due to a cybercrime report being outstanding.
Solicitor Jim Caird said: “It’s been an enormous inconvenience for Mr Tierney.
“He’s attended every calling of the case – this is his sixth occasion in court.
“He isn’t working. He is someone who is very interested in computers – I think gaming is the correct thing to say.
“His equipment has been taken from him. He’s missing that very much. He’s on disability benefit.”
Sheriff Grant McCulloch said: “On the face of it, the crime of cyber attack through the Computer Misuse Act is a serious one, particularly when it involves foreign states and institutions.
“It’s not something that can just be kicked into the long grass. A desertion wouldn’t do.”
Endangered baby’s life
Jay Dixon, 23, from Dundee admitted carrying out a life-endangering attack on a new-born baby, including restricting his breathing and putting his head underwater. At the High Court, Dixon pled guilty to two courses of domestic abuse towards partners, as well as neglecting and seriously assaulting the baby, who was less than a month old.
Unhappy birthday
A man was jailed on his 40th birthday for leaving a woman “bloodied” in her Fife home in an assault.
Grant Young was also banned from contacting his victim for ten years when he appeared from custody at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
He was previously found guilty of assaulting the woman by repeatedly punching her on the head to her injury at an address in Lochore on February 2 2023.
Sheriff Kirsta Johnston told Young: “In respect of the evidence I heard during (the) trial, it’s apparent that you went to this woman’s house after speaking to her online for just a matter of two days, as I recall.
“Within her own home you assaulted her”.
The sheriff said Young “left her bloodied within her own living room”.
She continued: “You have an appalling record, which shows persistent crimes of violence, in particular directed against your domestic partners”.
The sheriff said Young has been repeatedly sentenced in a way designed to assist and support him in the community and provide rehabilitation.
She added: “You turn 40 today. I hope at some point you learn how to behave appropriately towards women and those you hold in affection”.
Sheriff Johnston jailed Young for the maximum available 12 months.
Young, formerly of Falkirk had also admitted that on October 23 2023 at an address in that area, he behaved in a threatening or abusive manner by leaving offensive and derogatory voice messages for a different woman.
Sheriff Johnston revoked a community payback order previously imposed on this matter and gave him a four-month jail sentence, to run consecutively.
Hammer scar
A Dundee teenager who smacked another on the head with a hammer at a football game has been sentenced. Cody Chambers left his victim with a scar after a confrontation over him being too “boisterous” at the children’s game.
Shop raider
A shop raider who made off with hundreds of pounds worth of goods after he broke into a city Co-op has been jailed.
David Tracey, 37, appeared for sentencing at Dundee Sheriff Court via video link from HMP Perth.
He admitted that on March 17, he and an accomplice broke into the Brook Street supermarket and stole £666.01 worth of booze, razors and e-cigarettes.
Prosecutor Ewan Chalmers said Tracey and the other man were captured on CCTV at 4.30am and the accomplice used a scaffolding support beam to smash his way into the shop.
At a hearing two days later, Tracey admitted breaking into the shop while on bail.
In between, he managed to get himself in more trouble at the Tesco Express on Dundee’s Nethergate.
Early on March 18, he acted in a threatening or abusive manner and assaulted an employee there, shouted, swore, refused to leave, pushed a stock trolley and tried to punch the man’s head.
Solicitor Jim Laverty said his client, of Wentworth Lane in Dundee, is now drug-free in prison and at a “crossroads”.
Sheriff Gregor Murray jailed Tracey for nine months, backdated when he was first remanded.
He said: “I agree, you’re very much at a crossroads. Frankly, you are going to kill yourself if you carry on like this – I don’t think I’m overstating that.”
Third robber jailed
Russel Gray, 47, has been jailed for 25 months and two weeks for his role in a vicious assault and robbery on Montrose.
He was part of a trio who lured their victim into a trap in the city’s North Esk Street in the early hours of January 3 2023.
Forfar Sheriff Court heard how Rheanne Ferguson, 25, approached the target alone by asking him to walk alongside her and pretending she had been the victim of domestic violence.
Grey and another man, Nicholas Depellette, then appeared and set upon their victim.
They robbed him of his phone and wallet, containing bank cards and around £120.
Depellette tried and failed to use the man’s face to unlock the phone, before giving up and smashing it.
The stolen bank card was then used to buy about £40 of tobacco products from Asda.
Ferguson and Depellette previously pled guilty to their role in the robbery and were jailed for 21 months and 27 months respectively.
Grey, 47, from Montrose, denied charges of assault and robbery and debit card fraud but was found guilty after trial.
Sexual touching supervision
The disgraced former president of St Andrews Rifle Club has been placed under supervision after being found guilty of a string of sexual assaults on female students. Patrick Jess was placed on the sex offenders register and ordered to complete unpaid work as a direct alternative to imprisonment.
Serial fraudster
A serial fraudster has been ordered to compensate three victims conned out of nearly £3,000.
Christopher Menmuir appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court and admitted defrauding individuals in Arbroath and Brechin in 2022.
The 27-year-old self-employed joiner had agreed to carry out construction and maintenance work for a woman in Warddykes Road, Arbroath, on May 3.
She paid £2,047 and 15p upfront but Menmuir never carried out the job or delivered materials.
About a month later, he offered music festival tickets to a Brechin man at a cost of £250.
The buyer transferred the cash but never got his tickets.
Menmuir further admitted inducing another Brechin man to pay him £400 for power tools and accessories but did not send the goods.
Solicitor Nick Markowski, defending, said his client had been struggling with a relationship at the time and had “burnt bridges with family members.”
He has since moved to Hamilton to start afresh.
Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown fined Menmuir £300 and ordered him to pay compensation to each of his victims.
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