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Monday court round-up — When cellmates collide

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

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A Montrose roofer gave a fake name to police when he was stopped for drink-driving for a second time on the north-east coast.

William Rose, 21, of St Christopher’s Caravan Park, was warned at Banff Sheriff Court his crimes could have landed him behind bars.

He admitted driving with excess alcohol (93mics/ 22) and perverting the course of justice and was fined £1,040.

William Rose at Banff Sheriff Court.

Fiscal depute Anne Mann told the court Rose was pulled over by police in MacDuff in his Citreon Berlingo at about 1am on February 9 this year, with officers noting he had dilated pupils.

“He provided his name as Andrew Rose. During a search of his person, his bank card was found with his correct name on it.”

Stuart Beveridge, defence solicitor, said his client had started drinking because of an argument with his new wife and left the house because it was so bad.

“He accepts he gave them the wrong name initially. He panicked, realising he would be in trouble.”

Sheriff Robert McDonald said: “You find yourself in a precarious position because not only is this a second conviction for drink-driving but also you’ve now got a conviction for a very serious crime of perverting the course of justice.

“That’s the sort of thing that gets you a jail sentence.”

Rose will also be banned from driving for 40 months.

Janitor filmed children

School janitor Graeme Strachan has been placed on the sex offenders register after he filmed two children, aged 13 and 14, having sex.

The 50-year-old shot the footage in the grounds of the Dundee school where he worked.

Graeme Strachan appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court.

Video of the youngsters was later “widely circulated” on social media.

Strachan admitted a charge of voyeurism by clandestinely recording the children on July 27 2023, as well as a separate charge of distributing indecent images of children.

Inmate left with ‘burst nose’

A death crash driver will not spend extra time behind bars for scrapping with his cellmate at Perth Prison.

Darren Ferris left fellow inmate Sean Campbell with a “burst nose” following the flare-up in September last year.

Ferris, 34, was originally jailed for nine years and six months in 2016 for fatally injuring a pedestrian in a smash while he was over the drink-drive limit.

Darren Ferris

His lawyer successfully argued for the court to sentence him in a way that would not impact on his September release date.

The assault was caught on CCTV and showed the two men clashing at the end of a hallway, before guards ran over to investigate.

Ferris was heard saying afterwards: “That’s what he gets for taking s*** about me.”

Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said: “This happened so long ago, Mr Ferris does not remember what started it.

“Mr Campbell had said something towards him. It was all over very quickly.”

He said the two men shook hands shortly after the assault.

“Mr Campbell was telling staff that he actually started it,” said Mr Holmes.

“But Mr Ferris accepts he should not have hit him.

“He lost privileges for six weeks as a result. He was kept in his cell and lost his job.”

Mr Holmes asked the court to impose a sentence that would not delay his client’s release.

“It has been a long time coming for him,” he said.

Sheriff Clair McLachlan told Ferris: “Clearly, given your circumstances, options are limited and there is no alternative to custody.”

She sentenced him to four months, which will run alongside his current jail time.

The high court in Glasgow previously heard how Ferris had been “pretty drunk” on Buckfast, before he got behind the wheel and crashed into Darren Ferris, 24, in Motherwell in September 2015.

A judge told him the offence, and his previous convictions for drink-driving, “demonstrates you have no sense of the civilised values by which others in the community live their lives.”

Firearm used in child sex attack

A Highland crofter who sexually abused an eight-year-old girl with a gun has been warned he faces a lengthy custodial sentence.

John Spence’s crime was part of a litany of physical, emotional and sexual abuse directed towards two girls at various addresses in Fife and Sutherland, in the Highlands, spanning a period of about 15 years.

John Spence was on trial at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.

A trial heard that Spence, 59, restricted their food and water, stopped them using a toilet, pulled down their underwear and smacked them on their private parts.

He pointed a gun at one child and made a threat to shoot her.

The ex-Army soldier, from Lairg, Sutherland, was convicted after trial at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.

Crashed car in field

A drink driver who crashed into a field in Fife has been banned from driving for 14 months.

Cameron Anderson appeared from custody at Dundee Sheriff Court to answer a warrant, having previously written in admitting driving with excess alcohol on January 10 this year.

The 38-year-old came off the carriageway on the C4 road between Guardbridge and Kincaple.

He returned a blood reading of 158gm per 100ml, more than triple the limit of 50mg.

His solicitor Scott Mackie said: “He’s just lost his job.

“Mr Anderson has no previous convictions. He did plead at an early stage.

“He’s not tried to minimise it in any way.”

As well as issuing a driving ban, Sheriff George Way fined Anderson, of Commercial Road in Ladybank, £420 altogether.

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