Man denies string of charges related to indecent images and drugs offences at Perth address

August 31, 2020, 12:32 am

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A man has denied possessing indecent images featuring animals, and drug possession charges.

John Frederick Nicoll, 38, appeared in private at Dundee Sheriff Court before Sheriff George Way on a petition alleging sexual and drugs offences.

Nicoll, whose address was given as HMP Perth on court papers, faces a number of allegations.

It is alleged that, between May 26, 2018 and May 19, 2019, at Room 30, Skinnergate House, 16 Skinnergate in Perth, he did take or permitted to be taken, indecent photographs or pseudo photographs of children; and between the same dates and at the same location, possessing indecent photographs or pseudo photographs of children.

He is further accused of, on May 20, 2019 and June 11, at the same address and at Perth Police office, breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order by possessing more than one mobile phone and failing to provide the password to this and other electronic devices recovered from his possession to the police.

He is also alleged to have, between May 28, 2018 and September 16, 2018, at Skinnergate House, possessed extreme pornographic images – and on May 20, 2019, at the same address, possessing ecstasy and amphetamine, both class A drugs, class B drug cannabis and Diclazepam and Zopiclone, both class C drugs.

Nicoll made no plea and was fully committed for trial and remanded in custody.

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Boy, 15, in court over ‘trail of mayhem’ in Dundee

September 1, 2020, 7:01 am

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A teenager who is too young to hold a driving licence has been accused of leaving a trail of mayhem in various Dundee streets.

The 15-year-old from Dundee, who can’t be named for legal reasons, faces trial on a total of 20 driving charges including driving dangerously at speed, losing control of his uninsured car and colliding with a wall, a lamppost and another car on three separate occasions over a four-month period this year.

He denies that on March 22, on various roads between the Kingsway, Happyhillock Road and Ballindean Road, he drove without a licence, insurance or an MOT certificate.

He also denies causing a collision with a roadside barrier and wall on Ballantrae Place, damaging them and failing to stop and give details and failing to report the accident; and failing to stop in various streets between Longtown Road and Ballindean Road when required to do so by police.

The youth also denies that on the same date, in various roads between Longtown Road and Ballantrae Place, he accelerated harshly, failed to comply with road markings, lost control of the car, repeatedly crossed on to the opposing carriageway and forced drivers of oncoming vehicles to take evasive action to avoid a collision and struck a wall.

He further denies stealing car keys on March 28 or 29 at a house on Balunie Avenue in Dundee; and on March 29, on Russell Crescent and Kemnay Gardens, driving without insurance or a licence, on Balunie Avenue at Baldovie Road, failing to stop and provide details after an accident, having struck a lamppost; and on Russell Crescent, having struck another vehicle, failing to stop and provide details.

He further denies failing to stop when required to do so by PC Fraser Butter in Albert Street, Dura Street, Forfar Road and Clepington Road, on June 30.

The teenager is also accused of, on March 29 on Russell Crescent, taking and driving away a car and, on the same date, failing to report an accident at Balunie Avenue and Baldovie Road.

He is also accused of, on the same date, on Russell Crescent, Brown Constable Street, Albert Street, Lyon Street, Arbroath Road and Balunie Crescent, and other streets in Dundee unknown, driving dangerously and colliding with another vehicle and a lamppost.

He also denies that on June 30 on Albert Street, Dura Street, Forfar Road and Clepington Road he drove dangerously at excessive speeds and caused other drivers to take evasive action to avoid a collision; and drove without a licence or insurance.

The youth did not appear in court and he was ordained to appear for his trial on February 3, with an intermediate diet on January 20.

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Dundee teen who attacked alleged bully with hammer avoids jail sentence

September 2, 2020, 12:00 am

≫ Next: Man denies robbing person of money and mobile phone in Dundee street while on bail

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A teenager who chased and attacked a housing estate’s alleged bully with a hammer and bottle has dodged a jail sentence.

Callum Samson, 18, said he committed the attack with a friend because he was fed up with the systematic bullying behaviour of a man towards residents in Menzieshill.

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael said he had considered a custodial sentence but was satisfied he could impose a community-based disposal which includes Samson’s participation in the Venture Trust programme.

Samson’s victim was hit several times after he was hunted down while taking out his bins, before he eventually managed to escape and run back to his flat.

Police officers were able to follow a trail of blood to the victim’s home and found him with injuries to his head and body.

Depute fiscal Charmaine Gilmartin said: “He said he didn’t know why he had been assaulted but said he continued to get grief for his past crimes.”

At a previous hearing defence solicitor Mike Short told Dundee Sheriff Court the victim in this case was a “bully” who had targeted members of Samson’s family.

He said: “While my client was on remand, word was passed that there was a bounty put on his head by the complainer.

“My client is very fearful because of the threats to his person. I don’t know how safe he will be on the outside.

“He understands what he’s done is wrong.”

Samson, from Dundee, admitted acting with another when he attacked and severely injured the man with a hammer and glass bottle on Strathcarron Place on February 28.

Mr Short told the court Samson had bad skin and had been teased about it over the years and had also been drinking on the night in question.

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael placed Samson on a community payback order under supervision for 18 months with the added condition that he attend the Venture Trust Programme. He was also ordered to stay in his home between the hours of 7pm and 7am for seven months.

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Man denies robbing person of money and mobile phone in Dundee street while on bail

September 2, 2020, 3:30 am

≫ Next: Thug assaulted man, 75, outside his home in Perth while trying to steal his van

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An accused has denied assaulting and robbing a man of his money and mobile phone while acting with two other people.

Edward Prus, 38, of no fixed abode, appeared in private before Sheriff George Way yesterday.

It is alleged that on August 12, at an address in Provost Road, Dundee, while acting with two others, he assaulted Steven Getty, seized him by the body, put him in a headlock, restricted his breathing, dragged him by the body, and lifted him off the ground by the body, all to his injury.

Prus is also accused of robbing Mr Getty of £60 in cash and a mobile telephone, while on bail.

Prus made no plea and was remanded in custody while the case was continued for further examination.

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Thug assaulted man, 75, outside his home in Perth while trying to steal his van

September 3, 2020, 12:00 am

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A thug who randomly caught a train to Perth while under the influence of alcohol and Valium severely assaulted a 75-year-old man while trying to steal his van.

Peter Maher, a prisoner at HMP Barlinnie, struck pensioner Andrew Henderson with an unidentified object, knocking him unconscious, outside his home on Tulloch Terrace, in Perth, last year after the elderly man challenged him in the street.

The 33-year-old pleaded guilty to assault with intent to rob at Dundee Sheriff Court and was jailed by Sheriff Alastair Carmichael.

Fiscal depute Marie Irvine told the court Mr Henderson looked out of his window and saw the accused acting suspiciously near his van and went outside to challenge him.

“Mr Henderson asked him, ‘What are you doing?’ and the accused told him, ‘I’m stealing this van.’

“The complainer told him to leave and the accused turned round and struck him with an unknown implement. He fell to the ground and the accused stood over him holding a stick and a fluorescent light.

“Mr Henderson was shouting for help and the accused forced him back to the ground. During this time the accused repeatedly said ‘where’s the keys, where’s the van keys’, while the complainer continued to shout for help.”

The fiscal said neighbours came to the pensioner’s aid and the accused made off. Police and an ambulance were called and Mr Henderson was taken to Ninewells Hospital where he underwent surgery on a 4-5cm-wide, 4-5mm deep cut to his eyelid.

The accused was identified on CCTV at Queen Street Station in Glasgow later the same day, and police arrested him on other matters.

Maher admitted that on October 12 2019, at Tulloch Terrace, Perth, he assaulted Andrew Henderson by striking him on the head with an unknown implement, causing him to be unconscious, repeatedly forced him to the ground and demanded the keys to his van to his severe injury, with intent to rob, while on bail.

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael jailed Maher for 26 months.

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Dundee fugitive who fled Scotland jailed for drugs and serious organised crime offences

September 3, 2020, 3:29 am

≫ Next: Angus man accused of sending messages to man telling him he wished to sexually abuse a child

≪ Previous: Thug assaulted man, 75, outside his home in Perth while trying to steal his van

A woman from Dundee, who fled from Scotland to Bulgaria, has today been locked up for more than five years for drug offences and being involved in serious organised crime.

Police Scotland officers have welcomed the sentencing of Morag Yorston, who had pled guilty to supplying heroin and cocaine in July last year.

She was sentenced to five years and 11 months in prison at the High Court in Glasgow this morning.

The 55-year-old was one of 17 people arrested during Operation Boost – a joint Tayside Division and Organised Crime Unit investigation into the supply of Class A controlled drugs by organised criminals in the city in the wake of a high level of deaths believed to be drug related.

Between July and October 2018, the initiative saw officers seize approximately 6 kgs of heroin and a kilogram of cocaine, with a combined street value of over £380,000, as well as £12,000 in cash.

In September 2019, while on bail, Yorston failed to appear at the High Court in Glasgow for sentencing.

Inquiries established that she had fled with her husband, who is a Bulgarian national, and a European Arrest Warrant was granted. On 4 March this year the warrant was executed and she was arrested by the Bulgarian authorities and extradited back to Scotland on 2 July.

Detective Chief Inspector Scott Fotheringham said: “Operation Boost was a complex and protracted investigation which identified Yorston playing a significant role in an organised crime group intent in bringing misery to our communities.

“Police Scotland works hard with local, national and international partners to make Tayside and the rest of Scotland a hostile environment for those involved in this sort of criminality. I welcome the sentencing handed to Yorston which also underlines how seriously the courts view such activities.”

Chief Inspector David McIntosh, Area Commander for Tayside Division, added: “The success of Operation Boost and the sentencing of Yorston shows our unwavering commitment to targeting serious organised criminals in Tayside and disrupting their activities, to protect the most vulnerable people in our communities.”

Yorston becomes the eighth person to be sent to prison following her arrest as part of Operation Boost.

Three women and four men have already been convicted and sentenced to a total of over 17 years in prison.

A male youth was ordered to spend 16 months in a Young Offenders Institution and a woman received a five month Restriction of Liberty Order.

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Angus man accused of sending messages to man telling him he wished to sexually abuse a child

September 4, 2020, 12:15 am

≫ Next: Woman accused of assault and robbery and possessing cocaine, Dundee Sheriff Court hears

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A man has appeared in court accused of sending an indecent text to another man in which he made inappropriate comments regarding the man’s child.

Prosecutors say the reference to the child formed part of a written message sent by Craig Laurence, 33, of Goosecroft, Forfar, to the man via Kik Messenger indicating that he was sexually attracted to children.

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Laurence appeared in private before Sheriff Alastair Carmichael at Dundee Sheriff Court on a petition alleging that between August 27 and September 2, at Goosecroft, he intentionally sent a written sexual communication to another man via the social media platform, describing to him that he wished to sexually abuse a child, making inappropriate reference to his child, telling him that he viewed indecent images of children and repeatedly sent him messages of a sexual nature, including indecent images of children.

He is also accused of taking or permitting to take indecent photographs or pseudo photographs of children, and possessing the images, at the same location between the same dates.

Laurence is further accused of possessing cannabis and cannabis resin at the same location on Wednesday.

He made no plea and was granted bail while the case was continued for further examination.

>>Read more of the latest court news by clicking here

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Woman accused of assault and robbery and possessing cocaine, Dundee Sheriff Court hears

September 4, 2020, 12:29 am

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A woman has appeared in private at Dundee Sheriff Court accused of assaulting and robbing another woman.

Victoria Mitchell, 37, of the Salvation Army Hostel on Ward Road, is accused of, at Kinghorne Road on May 23, while acting with two others, assaulting Karen Smith, seizing her by the hair, pulling her to the ground and repeatedly punching and kicking her on the head and body, rendering her unconscious, as well as robbing her of a mobile phone and £95.

Mitchell is also accused of possessing cocaine at police HQ on Bell Street on the same date.

She made no plea and was released on bail by Sheriff Alastair Carmichael, while the case was continued.

>>Read more of the latest court news by clicking here

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Royal Marines based in Arbroath accused of assault and resisting arrest

September 5, 2020, 12:45 am

≫ Next: Unpaid work for man found with hundreds of sick child images

≪ Previous: Woman accused of assault and robbery and possessing cocaine, Dundee Sheriff Court hears

Two Royal Marines from RM Condor in Arbroath are to face trial at Dundee Sheriff Court later this month accused of assault and resisting arrest, during which a police officer’s wrist was broken.

Max Mortimer, 22, and Daniel Gay, 26, both of RM Condor, Arbroath, denied a total of four charges when their case called at Dundee Sheriff Court.

Mortimer denies that on December 6, 2019, in South Ward Road, he resisted arrest, advanced on police officers, shouted, swore and charged towards them with the intention of preventing the arrest of another.

He also denies resisting arrest on the same date at the same place by three officers, lashing out and kicking out and attempting to prevent the application of handcuffs, while struggling, during the course of which PC Eilidh Hill sustained a fractured wrist.

Gay denies, on the same date and place, he assaulted Mark Reid by lunging at him and attempting to punch him.

He also denies resisting arrest by pulling away from officers, struggling from their grasp before fleeing, then struggling violently and lashing out with his arms in an attempt to prevent the application of handcuffs.

Sheriff John Rafferty continued the case to trial on September 29 and continued their bail.

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Unpaid work for man found with hundreds of sick child images

September 8, 2020, 12:31 am

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A former marketing executive caught with hundreds of sick child images has been spared a prison sentence.

First offender Paul Milne was found with the vile hoard when police turned up to raid his then-home on Glenclova Terrace following a tip-off.

More than 560 indecent images – some at the highest levels of depravity – were uncovered on a laptop and a computer.

Milne, 32, was placed on a community payback order after previously pleading guilty at Dundee Sheriff Court to possessing and downloading the images. The court had heard how a total of 567 indecent images were found and featured girls as young as eight.

Prosecutor Lora Apostolova said: “Following intelligence, police searched the locus which led to the seizure of two computers – one laptop and the other was a personal computer. Examination of one device, the laptop, found 244 images: 19 in category A, eight in category B and 217 in category C.

“Examination of the other device found 323 images: Eight in category A, 38 in category B and 277 in category C. The girls in these images were between eight and 15 years old. The accused was taken into custody and made no comment. Upon caution and charge he made no reply.”

Milne, now of Elmbank Street, Glasgow, committed the offences between February 2018 and November 2019 at his former home address.

He returned to the dock following the preparation of reports, with defence solicitor John Boyle conceding that there was a degree of “minimisation” from Milne.

Mr Boyle confirmed Milne had lost his job as a marketing executive for magazines and was now working in a call centre.

The solicitor said: “He has not offended since the commission of this offence. He has obtained work in a call centre and I don’t foresee any difficulties in him completing unpaid work.”

As a direct alternative to custody, Sheriff Alastair Carmichael sentenced Milne to 18 months supervision and 150 hours of unpaid work. He was placed on the sex offenders register for the same period as his supervision.

Sheriff Carmichael said: “Having read the terms of the report here, it’s a positive report, it does recommend that you are suitable for unpaid work and supervision due to the relatively low number of category A and B images.

“I think in these circumstances I can go down a non-custodial line.”

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Man accused of spitting on Aldi employee and trying to bite police officer

September 9, 2020, 12:19 am

≫ Next: Serial offender stole booze from Dundee hotel before threatening to kill cops

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A man accused of spitting on an Aldi employee before trying to bite a police officer has been remanded in custody.

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Serial offender stole booze from Dundee hotel before threatening to kill cops

September 9, 2020, 12:48 am

≫ Next: Dundee teen in court accused of raping woman while she slept and posting act on Snapchat

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A brazen crook nicked and guzzled bottles of alcohol from a city hotel before threatening to murder police officers who found him slumped on the street.

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Dundee teen in court accused of raping woman while she slept and posting act on Snapchat

September 9, 2020, 8:24 am

≫ Next: Man who tried to blackmail escort is jailed for 14 months

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A teenager has been accused of secretly filming himself raping a sleeping woman before posting the footage on Snapchat.

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Man who tried to blackmail escort is jailed for 14 months

September 10, 2020, 2:23 am

≫ Next: Dundee man denies forcing lit cigarette into partner’s mouth and assaults on mum and brother

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A blackmailer who threatened to expose a middle-class professional’s secret life as an escort was jailed for 14 months yesterday.

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Dundee man denies forcing lit cigarette into partner’s mouth and assaults on mum and brother

September 11, 2020, 12:31 am

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A man has continued to deny claims that he forced a lit cigarette into a woman’s mouth before knocking her unconscious during an alleged four-day attack.

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Angus man accused of taping woman’s hands together, kicking and threatening to kill her

September 11, 2020, 2:30 am

≫ Next: Police officer denies injuring colleague by running red light and crashing during 999 call

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A 37-year-old man accused of taping his partner’s hands together before repeatedly punching her and making threats to kill her had his case continued.

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