A DUNDEE man allegedly sent gifts to his ex-partner, returned letters to her, and repeatedly phoned her.

Andrew McIntosh, 62, of Millbay Gardens, also allegedly attended at his former partner Linda Brownlee’s home uninvited and repeatedly phoned her work with the intention of speaking to her.

McIntosh will stand trial at the city’s sheriff court. He denies a charge of engaging in a course of conduct which caused Ms Brownlee fear and alarm, at Magdalen Yard Road and King’s Cross Hospital, Hospital Street, between December 19 last year and April 22.

He allegedly punched her on the head, arranged for a gift bag containing gifts to be delivered to her home, and sent her a letter containing old letters she had given him while they were in a relationship.

He also allegedly persistently contacted her by phone, made phone calls of a threatening nature, and threatened her family with violence.

And he allegedly attended at her home uninvited and contacted her, repeatedly drove past her home in his car and made phonecalls to her work in an attempt to contact her.

McIntosh also denies a second charge of breaching bail conditions by contacting Ms Brownlee and attempting to contact her, at the same locations, between February 17 and April 22.

Trial is on August 11, with an intermediate diet on July 26.

A man and his stepson who were both involved in drugs have been jailed for a total of more than four years.

Derek Adam, 43, was jailed for three years for growing cannabis.

His stepson Jake Thomson, 27, was jailed for 19 months for supplying cocaine.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard Adam had converted the loft at his home on Alloway Terrace to hold a large cannabis cultivation.

Adam had converted a cupboard to allow access to the loft where police found 154 cannabis plants — with a potential street value of £24,640.

Fiscal depute Vicki Bell told the court sophisticated equipment for growing the drug was found at the property.

She said police also searched a second property on Alloway Terrace where his new wife Angela Thomson lives.

The fiscal said: “During the search at the second house a large amount of cultivation equipment with a similar set up in the loft was found.”

While police were searching Adam’s wife’s home, they found cocaine in his stepson Jake Thomson’s bedroom with a value of £950 to £1,900.

Text messages were found on Thomson’s phone from customers asking for drugs, to which he had replied with prices.

Adam admitted producing cannabis, a class B drug, at Alloway Terrace, between May 5 2013 and August 9 2014.

Solicitor Ian Houston, defending Adam, said: “This was not for anything other than his own medicinal use. He has been diagnosed with sciatica, which causes inflammation of his spine, and anxiety.”

Thomson, now of Clepington Road, admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine, a class A drug, between May 5 2013 and August 9 2014, at Alloway Terrace.

Solicitor George Donnelly, defending, said: “He was an agent for his own dealer and would get a discount on cocaine when he introduced new people.”

Mr Donnelly added that Thomson was homeless at the time of the offence and leading a chaotic lifestyle.

Sheriff Alastair Brown said: “Mr Adam was involved in a large cultivation over two sites. I do consider he was motivated by financial gain and not for personal use. Mr Thomson was a street-level dealer but similar intention is still there as he benefited in kind.”

A man told takeaway workers to “go back to their own country” as he waited for food at a Dundee curry shop.

Joel Justice, 25, also spouted racist abuse to staff in Curry Junction on the city’s Perth road.

Justice, of Bellfield Road, branded workers “p****” and told them: “You keep your women like slaves”.

Fiscal depute Trina Sinclair told Dundee Sheriff Court that the incident occurred around 11.10pm on April 29.

She said: “The accused began calling the workers there ‘p****’ then told them ‘you keep your women like slaves’.

“He then asked ‘are you from Afghanistan’ then told the two employees ‘go back to your own country’.

“Police were called and arrived at 11.50pm.

“They found the accused standing at the counter eating his food.

“He was taken to police HQ and continued to state phrases like ‘I just told them p**** to go back to their own country’.

“He was cautioned and charged and made no reply.”

Justice pleaded guilty on summary complaint to a charge that on April 29 he acted in a racially aggravated manner intended to cause alarm and distress to Rifa Nezir and Rehan Khan by shouting racist remarks to them and regarding them.

Defence solicitor John Boyle said: “It is clear from the background reports there are some misguided views that he holds.

“He has an alcohol addiction and though he doesn’t drink every day he does regularly, and when he drinks it is always to excess.”

Sheriff Alastair Brown deferred sentence on Justice until next month for an alcohol treatment assessment.

He said: “It needs to be understood very clearly that this sort of racist abuse has never been something that this court will tolerate.

“I’m aware that there is increased sensitivity now and there is some evidence that there has been an upsurge in racist abuse.

“That has been roundly rejected by the Scottish Government and is rejected by this court.

“Anyone who indulges in it will be dealt with seriously.”

Justice was released on bail ahead of sentencing.

A Dundee man is facing three years in jail after being caught with a stash of offensive weapons at Edinburgh Airport.

Kevin McKell, of Greenbank Place, was found to have three CS gas canisters, seven knives and 10 knuckle-dusters upon returning from a trip to Bavaria.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard the 31-year-old’s luggage caused alarm bells to ring as it passed through the X-ray machine on June 1 last year.

McKell was asked by security staff what was in the suitcase and admitted to having a knuckle-duster and a knife, however closer examination of the luggage revealed a great deal more.

McKell pled guilty to being in possession of the weapons without reasonable excuse or lawful authority at Edinburgh International Airport.

Fiscal Depute, Melanie Ward, told Sheriff Norman McFadyen that McKell told airport staff he was bringing the items back for friends.

Defence solicitor, Gordon Parker-Smith, said: “There is not much I can say about the offence itself.”

He added: “These items are readily available in Bavaria and he thought it would be a good idea to purchase these items.”

His client, he said, had previous convictions, but they dated back three or four years.

Sheriff McFadyen told McKell that given his record, and the startling nature of the weapons, only a custodial sentence was appropriate.

His starting point, he said, was four years, but due to the plea of guilty, he reduced that to three years.

A DUNDEE man kicked his former partner on the head as she cleaned up broken glass from a lightbulb he drunkenly smashed in her kitchen.

Richard Saunders, 47, pushed Heather Scott to the ground before kicking her.

Fiscal depute Trina Sinclair said Saunders and Ms Scott had been in a relationship that ended 15 years ago but they had remained in what could be described as an on-off relationship since the split.

The fiscal said: “On December 31 last year, the complainer arranged to pick up the accused, as they were planning on going to a bar later that evening.

“When she picked him up, the accused smelled of alcohol and he continued to drink from a bottle of vodka he had brought with him.

“The complainer described his behaviour as erratic and out of character.

“He was saying things like, ‘Live fast, die young’, and other things she says he wouldn’t normally say.”

The pair went to Ms Scott’s home in Salton Crescent.

The fiscal continued: “The complainer goes on to describe him as severely intoxicated.

“When he was in the kitchen she heard him say, ‘This is what happens’, then he smashed a lightbulb off the ceiling.

“She began to sweep broken glass off the floor and he pushed her over, causing her to fall to the ground.”

Saunders then kicked Ms Scott on the head, causing her to bleed at her right eye, and she called police. Officers arrived and noted Ms Scott was visibly stressed and shaking.

She was taken to Ninewells Hospital and Saunders was traced outside where he was arrested.

Solicitor David Duncan, defending, told the court Saunders struggled with many difficulties, including problems relating to alcohol abuse.

Saunders, of Scotscraig Road, admitted assaulting Heather Scott by pushing her on the body, causing her to fall to the ground, and kicking her on the head, to her injury, at Salton Crescent, on December 31.

Sheriff Alastair Brown said even one single kick to the head could kill, adding: “The court will always treat this type of assault as serious.”

Saunders was placed on a 24-week restriction of liberty order, confining him to his home address between 7pm and 7am daily.

A MAN allegedly burst into his grandmother’s home and robbed her of £50.

Kevin McLean, 31, will stand trial at Dundee Sheriff Court.

McLean denies forcing entry into a flat at Strathmore Street and assaulting his grandmother Agnes Widdis, then aged 85, by seizing her by the arm and robbing her of £50 in cash, on February 12. He further denies having two knives without reasonable excuse or lawful authority, at South Ward Road, on the same date.

A further first diet takes place on July 5.

A WOMAN who was arrested during an alleged drugs raid in Dundee faces a claim that she tried to swallow an illegal substance to hide it from police.

Officers targeted a property in the city on Tuesday as part of a Tayside-wide crackdown.

Two people were led away after police had been seen using a battering ram to break into the flat on Charleston Road.

Lorraine Jackson, 43, and William Brierley, 54, who both live on the street, were held following the raid.

They are both charged with being concerned in the supply of diazepam, a class C drug, at their home on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Jackson is further charged with being concerned in the supply of heroin, a class A drug.

It’s also claimed that she intentionally obstructed seven police officers by placing a package of heroin in her mouth and attempting to swallow it, at the same location and on the same date.

Both made no plea or declaration in relation to the charges during a private appearance at Dundee Sheriff Court.

The case was continued for further inquiries.

The arrests came during Operation Slate, a crackdown on alleged drug offences in Dundee, Angus and Perthshire.

On Monday, officers had also arrested and charged a 27-year-old man after they were said to have recovered class A drugs with a street value of about £1,000.

Derek Duncan, of Balgarthno Terrace, appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court in connection with that case and admitted having heroin, a class A drug, and cannabis, a class B drug, at his home address on Monday.

Sentence was deferred until July 13 and Duncan was remanded meantime.

Police have carried out a series of alleged drugs raids as part of the operation over the last week.

The Tele told yesterday how officers were targeting specific addresses — acting on tip-offs — as well as targeting vehicles suspected to be ferrying drugs into Tayside from locations in the central belt and England.

Operation Slate started in April last year, and has seen officers continually targeting those suspected of being involved in drug dealing.

The body that represents police officers today described the actions of two criminals who targeted one of its members as “appalling.”

William Handy, 54, of Errol, and Craig Guest, 32, of Dundee, were convicted this week of setting fire to a car parked in the driveway of PC David Farr’s Ballumbie home in June 2014.

Guest admitted setting the Volkswagen Golf alight using petrol and a lighter, while Handy was found guilty by majority of instigating the blaze.

While no one was hurt in the fire, David Hamilton, chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, said the consequences of what Handy and Guest did at PC Farr’s home could have been far worse.

He explained: “This was an appalling and reckless criminal act targeted at a police officer and his young family.

“Constable Farr was just doing his job to uphold the law and protect the public of Tayside. The targeting of him by these criminals is an attack not just on him but on the society that he has been charged to protect.

“The consequences of this attack could have been truly appalling, a fact that still weighs heavily on officers across the country. Police officers are after all just ordinary people doing an extraordinary job.”

During the trial at the High Court in Aberdeen, the jury heard from Handy about how PC Farr and his colleague PC Ross Clark had been following him on a number of occasions in an unmarked silver Audi.

Handy had become known to them after he was seen mixing with another man Police Scotland had under surveillance as part of a programme called Operation Cartogram.

The court heard that after being pulled over for an alleged insurance offence in May 2014, Handy used the website 192.com and searched for the home addresses of PC Farr and PC Clark.

PC Farr told the court that, on the day of the fire, he tried to bring the flames under control using a hose, but the blaze was so fierce it could only be extinguished by the fire service.

Two days after the fire, Guest and Handy were seen on CCTV asking about wiping their phones at the O2 shop in the Overgate shopping centre.

Handy and Guest are due to be sentenced at the High Court in Livingston on July 27.

A man who snuck into a woman’s home and sexually assaulted her as she slept has been jailed for 18 months at Dundee Sheriff Court.

James Dutracy, 30, previously admitted entering the woman’s home, in the Forfar area, without her permission and committing a sex act on her as she slept on June 13 last year.

The court previously heard that Dutracy had tried to kiss the woman earlier that evening when the two had been socialising in her home.

Dutracy left the property at around 8.30pm, and made an inappropriate sexual remark about the woman to her young baby.

The woman fell asleep watching television. When she woke, she found that Dutracy was carrying out a sex act on her.

She ordered him out of the house and as Dutracy fell to the floor she noticed that his trousers were unfastened and pulled down. The woman told Dutracy to leave but did not contact police as she thought no one would believe her.

Four days later, Dutracy contacted the woman to apologise but she told him it was not good enough and convinced him to hand himself into the police.

Defending Ian Flynn said that his client was still of the opinion that there had been an “invited sexual connection” earlier that day.

However, Sheriff Alastair Brown said that this was at odds with police statements given by both the accused and the complainer.

Sentencing Dutracy to 18 months imprisonment, Sheriff Brown said: “It is quite clear that when a woman is sleeping she cannot give consent.

“It is also quite clear that the woman had refused consent to any other sexual contact earlier in the day.

“If it is the case that there has been some kind of sexual agreement earlier that day, that does not carry on later. Consent cannot be given in the past then assumed to still be valid. Consent is an ongoing condition of agreement and a person sleeping cannot give consent.

“You entered this woman’s house without consent and not only violated her sexually, you also violated the privacy of her home.”

Dutracy was also put on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Two men are due to appear in court following an alleged housebreaking in Dundee.

The incident is alleged to have happened in the Hilltown area of the city in the early hours of this morning (Tuesday).

A 34 and 40-year-old man have been charged.

The pair are expected to appear at Dundee Sheriff Court tomorrow and a report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.

A thug left a stranger permanently scarred after an unprovoked attack in a Dundee nightclub.

Greg Turner admitted the assault on Josh Waterson at Liquid nightclub on the city’s South Ward Road in August last year.

The court heard Turner, 25, first attempted to trip up Waterson before headbutting him – smashing the victim’s nose open and leaving him needing cartilage removed and with a permanent scar.

Fiscal depute Vicki Bell told the court: “The accused was standing on the edge of the dancefloor when the victim, who is unknown to him, walked past.

“The accused first stuck his foot out as if to trip him up.

“The accused then grabbed him and headbutted him once on the face.

“The victim went to Ninewells Hospital and cartilage was exposed, with a small piece removed.

“When the accused was detained he fully admitted the offence.”

Turner, of Russell Street, Lochgelly, Fife, pleaded guilty on indictment to a charge of assault to injury and permanent disfigurement.

The offence was committed on August 23 last year at Liquid Nightclub, South Ward Road, Dundee.

Turner’s lawyer told Dundee Sheriff Court that due to a mix-up he was due to fly back to Africa on July 20 until September, meaning he wouldn’t be available to be interviewed for pre-sentencing reports or for a future sentencing date.

A sheriff told him: “People who commit unprovoked assaults in licenced premises go to jail.

“If he is not prepared to make arrangements I will revoke his bail and remand him in custody now.”

Defence solicitor Douglas Williams said: “He is due to go back to Africa on July 20.

“Things are very difficult in the oil and gas industry and he is fearful that if he doesn’t turn up as arranged he will simply lose his job and he would have great difficulties.

“He is paying tax and making a good salary and could made a good contribution to compensation.”

Sheriff Alastair Brown deferred sentence until next month for social work background reports.

He said: “On any view this is a serious matter.”

A MAN who punched his ex-partner’s mother in the face has been jailed for seven months.

Peter Kelly originally denied the charge, as well as destroying the lock on the door and damaging the door frame of the property where the assault took place.

However, during his trial at Dundee Sheriff Court, he pled guilty to both charges after his ex-partner Sara Thomson provided evidence.

He admitted that on February 27 this year, at an address in the city’s Ballater Place, he punched Julie Langskill on the face.

Kelly, 30, also admitted destroying the lock on the door and damaging the door frame of the property in November last year.

During the trial, the court heard the pair had lived together at an address in Baluniefield Road after getting together in June 2015.

But they had split up around the end of February.

Miss Thomson was living with her mother, Ms Langskill, and step-father at Ballater Place.

The court heard that Kelly had arrived at the property looking for Miss Thomson on the day in question and was said to be in an agitated mood.

Ms Langskill answered the door to Kelly and told him Miss Thomson wasn’t there. Ms Langskill then raised her hand, at which point Kelly punched her in the face.

Fiscal Depute Saima Rasheed said there was no suggestion that Ms Langskill intended to strike Kelly when she raised her hand, but he reacted in the violent manner he did.

After Kelly admitted the offences, Sheriff George Way sentenced Kelly to seven months in jail, which was backdated to March 20 this year.

He is already serving a prison sentence at HM Perth for an unrelated matter.

Further charges of assaulting and threatening behaviour against his ex-partner were dropped during the trial.

This came after she claimed she had made the allegations up during a spell when she was drinking heavily and using diazepam.

The court heard that Miss Thomson and Kelly had a volatile, on-and-off relationship, which had been prone to bouts of violence, instigated by both she and Kelly.

A WOMAN will be sentenced next month after she admitted an attack which left her victim in need of surgery.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard that Laura Jean McLellan, 21, of Moathill East in Cupar, assaulted Heather Blair at Dorward Drive, Crail, and attempted to punch her on the head and body, caused her to fall to the floor, sat on top of her and repeatedly punched her and seized her by the neck, to her injury. The court heard McLellan and the victim had been friends for 10 years prior to the incident on September 10.

The pair had been drinking with two other friends when an argument broke out.

Fiscal depute Trina Sinclair, prosecuting, said: “An argument broke out between the complainer and Miss McLellan, and Miss McLellan tried to punch her.

“The complainer landed on the floor and Miss McLellan landed on top of her and repeatedly punched her on the head.

“The other two women managed to pull her off. The complainer suffered scratches on her neck and swelling to her nose and face.”

Police attended the address and McLellan was charged.

The court heard that Miss Blair had suffered damage to the cartilage on her nose and had subsequently had to go to Ninewells for surgery. Sheriff Thomas Hughes deferred sentence until August 3.

A man has appeared in court accused of killing a Dundee man by repeatedly exposing him to “burning liquid or steam on his head and body”.

Mark Anderson, 50, appeared in private on petition today at Dundee Sheriff Court, charged with the culpable homicide of Nigel Poustie, 49, at an address in Thurso Crescent.

It is alleged that on July 4 this year, Anderson assaulted Mr Poustie, did repeatedly strike him on the head and body with an unknown implement and did repeatedly expose him to burning liquid or steam on his head and body, whereby he succumbed to his injuries, and did kill him.

Mr Anderson also faces another charge of being concerned in the supply of a class C drug, diazepam, at the same address on July 1 this year.

Both offences were alleged to have been committed while Anderson was on bail.

Appearing in front of Sheriff Alastair Brown, the case was continued for further examination.

Anderson made no plea or declaration and no application for bail was made. He was remanded in custody ahead of a further hearing next week.

A MAN is to stand trial accused of a horrific catalogue of rapes, violent assaults and sex attacks, including an allegation that he so violently attacked a pregnant woman that she had a miscarriage.

Brian McTaggart faced a total of 18 charges – some of which date back as far as 1980 – when he appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court today.

One charge alleges that in 1983 he attacked one of his alleged victims repeatedly at addresses across Dundee.

The charge accuses McTaggart of holding her over a stairwell in a close before kicking her down the stairs.

He is then alleged to have repeatedly kicked and punched her on the ribs and back while she was pregnant, causing her to have a miscarriage.

McTaggart is then alleged to hung a hairdryer over a bath full of water and threatened to drop it in, and in another incident driven a car at her in an attempt to run her over.

Prosecutors say the victim was also raped and on numerous occasions abducted by McTaggart.

McTaggart is said to have had 11 separate victims over the duration of the offences, which include charges of rape, assault to the danger of life and indecent assault.

Further charges allege that last year he “culpably and recklessly” set fires at three separate addresses in Edinburgh.

McTaggart, 52, of no fixed abode, made no plea or declaration to the 18 charges during a private hearing on petition at Dundee Sheriff Court.

Sheriff Alastair Brown fully committed McTaggart for trial and granted him bail.

However, fiscal depute Stewart Duncan said the Crown would appeal bail, and McTaggart will be held in custody until a bail appeal is heard at the High Court next week.

POLICE uncovered more than £35,000 worth of cannabis at the home of a man who previously promoted a drugs club at his Dundee shop.

At Dundee Sheriff Court Nikolas Brown, 24, of Laing Place, admitted a charge of supplying the Class B drug and a second charge of supplying MDMA — a Class A drug.

Brown, who runs Dundee Cannabis Collective, claimed in court that he only sells “medicinal oils” after admitting the charges.

Fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson said at 1.55pm on September 1 last year firefighters attended the home address of the accused after reports of a fire within.

“The firefighters saw what appeared to be cannabis on open view in the living room, alongside rolls of cash and called police.”

The fiscal added: “Four sets of scales, a further quantity of cannabis, a tick list, a quantity of MDMA and a further £9,865 in cash were recovered from various locations in the living room.

“The total amount of cannabis recovered was 2,354g with a wholesale value of £10,000 and a maximum potential illicit value of £35,310 if separated in to smaller deals.”

Solicitor Ryan Sloan said: “He runs a shop The Dundee Cannabis Collective and is anxious to keep that business going.”

Brown shouted out from the dock “It’s all legal, medicinal oils”. He admitted two charges of being concerned in the supply of cannabis, a Class B drug, and MDMA, a Class A drug, both on September 1 last year, at Laing Place.

Sheriff Alastair Brown said: “He has a history of supplying a controlled drug unlawfully. I’m not going to give him bail to commit an offence.”

Sentence was deferred until August 9.

• Dundee Cannabis Club ‘can support drug users’, says shop manager 

A former Dundee mechanic sexually assaulted two women he met at his garage.

George MacNeil, who formerly ran George’s Autos on Clepington Road was today placed on the Sex Offenders Register after admitting the offences.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard MacNeil, 59, touched the women’s inner thighs and tried to kiss one of them.

Fiscal depute Trina Sinclair said MacNeil’s first victim brought her car to the garage several times over two months.

On her final visit, MacNeil asked if he could drive her car to Tayport to see another car he had to fix.

The fiscal said: “She felt the accused was a bit of a creep, but felt obliged to help him. They crossed the Tay Road Bridge and as they drove along the Tayport-Newport road, the accused pulled into a layby. He leaned towards the woman and grabbed hold of her head and pulled her face towards him.

“She turned to her left. He then rubbed the top of her right thigh over her jeans.”

On the return journey, MacNeil turned into an unknown area near Constitution Road and pulled over.

The fiscal added: “He leaned across and put his hands on either side of her head, leaned in and put his left hand on the top of her thigh and stroked her inner thigh. She moved away and he drove back to his garage.”

On a second occasion, MacNeil sexually assaulted another female who he had offered a lift home from his garage.

He told her she was attractive before touching her thigh and stroking her inner thigh, placing her in a state of “shock and alarm”.

Solicitor Ann Duffy, defending, said: “As a consequence of these offences his business is in ruins and he has had to pack up and leave Dundee.”

MacNeil, of Achingale Place, Watten, Wick, admitted two charges of sexual assault on two women.

The first offence took place on November 2014, on Tayport-Newport road, while within a car, and the second offence took place on a date in October last year, on Clepington Road, Pitkerro Road and Drumgeith Road, again while within a vehicle.

Sheriff Tom Hughes said: “Your behaviour is totally and utterly unacceptable.”

MacNeil was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for three years and placed under three years’ supervision with a rehabilitation programme requirement.

A man trapped his former partner in their home then beat and injured her.

William Burns, 35, a prisoner at Perth, had sentence deferred at Dundee Sheriff Court.

Burns admitted assaulting Angela Fleming on April 3, at a property in Arthurstone Terrace.

He pushed her against a door, seized her by the hair, dragged her by the hair, prevented her from leaving the property and repeatedly punched her on the body, all to her injury.

Burns also admitted a second charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, on the same date, at the same location.

He committed this offence by shouting, swearing, acting aggressively, uttering threats of violence towards three police officers, and kicking and headbutting a wall.

He further admitted a third charge of breaching bail conditions by approaching and contacting Ms Fleming and entering Arthurstone Terrace, on the same date.

Sentence was deferred until July 20 for the Crown to provide a narrative.

n Russell Whyte, 37, of Lawton Terrace, Dundee, had sentence deferred at the city’s sheriff court.

Whyte admitted assaulting David Robertson by seizing him by the body and repeatedly punching him on the head, at Spey Drive, on April 27.

Sentence was deferred until August 10 for reports.

A well-known children’s charity campaigner in Dundee has appeared at the city’s Sheriff Court charged with stalking.

Charles, known as Charlie, Kean, 54, of Ancrum Gardens denied one charge against him.

Kean denies that between July 10 and 12, at various locations within the Dundee area he engaged in a course of conduct which caused his former partner Deborah Bruce fear and alarm.

He allegedly committed the offence by contacting Ms Bruce by telephone, voice mail, text, and Facebook messages on an excessive number of occasions and made repeated and an excessive number of attempts to contact her by sending texts and other messages to her friend Catherine Anderson.

Kean will stand trial on September 26 with an intermediate diet to be held on September 6 for which his attendance has been excused to allow him to carry out his charity work.

He was released on bail under standard conditions with added special conditions not to approach or contact Deborah Bruce or Catherine Anderson.

‘Monster mum’ Rachel Trelfa and her civil partner Nyomi Fee are to ask for their murder convictions to be overturned.

Trelfa, 31, and Fee, 29, have both lodged notices of appeal with the High Court of Justiciary in Edinburgh.

The two killers are serving life sentences totalling 47 years for the brutal murder of Trelfa’s two-year-old son Liam and the heartless abuse of two other boys in their care.

A jury found the sadistic duo guilty of leaving little Liam in agony with a broken leg and a broken arm for days before inflicting the deadly blow which ruptured his heart.

A spokesman for the Scottish Courts and Tribunals service confirmed that lawyers acting for both women had lodged legal papers.

The convicted couple now have just under two months to give reasons for their legal challenges.

Trelfa has already revealed through her defence counsel Brian McConnachie that she is having a difficult a time coping with life in prison.

She and Fee were originally both held in Cornton Vale women’s prison near Stirling.

However, after sentence was passed Trelfa was transferred to Edinburgh’s Saughton Prison.

Legal sources suggested Trelfa’s appeal was likely to be based on an alleged lack of evidence that she had inflicted the fatal blow.

However, it is unclear what Fee’s grounds of appeal might be.