A Black Watch soldier who drove over the wrong side of the Tay Road Bridge at speeds up to 120mph has been banned from the road.

Daniel McLean, 24, was given a two year driving ban and fined £300 at Dundee Sheriff Court.

He was also ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work after admitting driving a car at two-and-a-half times the legal alcohol limit, and dangerous driving, at Tay Road Bridge and A92, on June 21.

McLean, of Kirkbank, Dumfries, had picked up a female passenger, Danielle Swindells, at 4am and was taking her home after a night out.

Fiscal depute John Adams told the court McLean missed the turn off on to the bridge at Dock Street and continued westwards before doing a U turn onto the north carriageway of the bridge.

The fiscal said: “Realising he was on the wrong side of the bridge, he reacted by attempting to cross the bridge as quickly as he could.

“Miss Swindells looked at the speedometer and saw he was travelling at 120mph.”

The court heard that as he approached the end of the bridge, McLean realised he was travelling too fast to negotiate the roundabout and despite attempts to brake he failed to stop in time.

The fiscal continued: “He narrowly missed another vehicle and continued to travel south, over the roundabout, and skidded across the opposite carriageway before mounting a grass verge.

“Miss Swindells struck her head on the dashboard but fortunately did not sustain injury.”

Police were made aware of what had taken place.

When officers attended, McLean was breathalysed, then taken to police headquarters where he gave a reading showed he was over the legal drink-drive limit.

Solicitor Ian Houston, defending, previously told the court McLean was a Lance Corporal for Three Scots, which is the former Black Watch regiment, at the time of the offence, and was likely to be demoted to a Private as a result of the incident.

Sheriff George Way said: “This is a serious matter and as such you will have to undertake unpaid work.”

Police have hailed the 35-month sentence handed out to domestic abuser Kevin McCallum, after he was found guilty of a number of assaults and stalking offences.

Detective Inspector Muriel Fuller of the National Domestic Abuse Task Force said: “This was a protracted police investigation carried out by the Domestic Abuse Task Force in the North Area of Police Scotland.

“McCallum’s relationship with the women involved in this enquiry was abusive and violent. The women described him as ‘obsessive and controlling’.

“I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to these victims who came forward and assisted the police. I hope that McCallum’s conviction will help in bringing closure for them so that they can now move on with their lives.

“This case again underlines that domestic abuse is not acceptable and that Police Scotland will robustly investigate all Domestic Abuse related crimes ensuring that we keep people safe.

“We would encourage anyone who is a victim of domestic abuse to come forward. There is help and support available.”

A health and safety worker had his hand crushed in a veneer press at a Dundee-based company, the city’s sheriff court heard today.

James Doig had his right hand crushed, to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and permanent impairment.

The incident happened at Lam-Art Limited, based in Liff Road, where Mr Doig was employed dealing with health and safety.

Mr Doig and Alan Lundie, also a health and safety official, were attempting to establish whether the Orma veneer press was heating up, when Mr Doig’s hand was crushed just before Christmas last year.

At Dundee Sheriff Court, Lam-Art today admitted one charge under the Health and Safety At Work Act.

The firm admitted failing to ensure that all people using an Orma veneer press had adequate health and safety information and written instructions to the safe use of the equipment.

Lam-Art admitted committing the offence on December 22 last year by failing to provide written instructions to the safe operation of the veneer press, in particular in relation to correct procedures for starting and setting up the machine, and action to be taken in the event of the machine not heating up.

As a consequence of the offence, Mr Lundie, health and safety executive, operated the veneer press while another employee, James Doig, also health and safety executive, was attempting to establish whether the veneer press was heating correctly, whereby James Doig’s right hand was crushed to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and permanent impairment.

Sentence was deferred until January 7 for further investigation.

A FATHER of two working on the Tay Rail Bridge died due to a string of health and safety failings by his employers, a court heard.

David Rodger died after being exposed to toxic vapours during repainting work within a pier leg of the rail bridge in January 2010.

His employers were fined £200,000 after admitting failing to identify the area being worked in by Mr Rodger as a confined space.

The 44-year-old, from Cowdenbeath, was carrying out blasting work with colleagues before starting painting at 2.30am.

Depute fiscal Gavin Callaghan told the court: “There was only one spray gun, so the men took turns to spray their areas.

“Mr Rodger waited inside the pier leg and told his colleague to return to the bothy. Another colleague waited in the paint shed monitoring the pumps.

“He assumed painting had finished around 4am when the demand for paint stopped. He checked the bothy and found other workers there and they noted Mr Rodger’s absence, but were not concerned as he was known to go to a different bothy to attend to paperwork.

“Shortly before 6am they tried to trace him. They discovered he was not in the adjacent bothy and tried unsuccessfully to contact him by mobile phone.

“They went to the encapsulation around pier 44 and climbed down to the lower levels where they saw a pair of boots protruding from a pile of grit.

“They found him lying face down in the grit with the spray gun lying beside him.”

Xervon Palmers Ltd, who are based in Kent and were known at the time as ThyssenKrupp Palmers Limited, admitted a charge under the Health and Safety at Work Act, between May 1 2009 and January 28 2010 at the Tay Rail Bridge.

Peter Gray QC, defending, said: “It is entirely accepted this was a fundamental failure and it went to a senior level.

“It wasn’t an issue that had been disregarded — quite the opposite. There had been careful consideration and discussion involving a number of people with health and safety experience who ultimately made an error.

“That is of profound regret and the company wish me to make known their most sincere sympathies to the family of Mr Rodger.”

Sheriff Lorna Drummond said there had been “numerous failings that resulted in the loss of life of Mr Rodger”.

She added: “The death was reasonably foreseeable given the number of failings. There is one aggravating factor, which is failure to heed warnings by employees about ventilation arrangements and night shift rescue arrangements.”

A naked man swung a cricket bat at individuals who tried to grab a child from his arms, which he had abducted from a Dundee toy shop.

This was one of the shocking scenes Dundee Sheriff Court was shown, in “extremely distressing” CCTV footage.

The footage showed Prizemyslaw Kaluzny, 41, entering Toys R Us, Kingsway West retail park, with a cricket bat, removing all of his clothes and shouting aggressively in a foreign language.

He then ran down one of the aisles, “forcibly grabbed” a young child by one arm and dragged the child along the ground towards the shop’s front door.

At the door he picked the child up and swung the bat at anyone who tried to grab the child from him – including the child’s grandmother who he hit on the face with the bat.

The court heard Kaluzny had taken ecstasy tablets which he found in a Kinder Egg container on the street, shortly before entering the store at 2.30pm on April 5.

Fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson said as he entered the store with the bat, staff thought he was attempting to carry out a robbery.

However he walked up to the back of the shop, towards the toilets, removing his clothing as he went.

She said: “Members of the public were also aware of the accused. Witnesses speak of shoppers being panicked, unsettled and trying to shield their children from what was happening.”

At the back of the store he became aggressive, was shouting in a foreign language and gesticulated with the bat.

A woman and her child within the toilets were in “complete panic” and screaming.

Kaluzny then ran down an aisle, with the bat, towards a woman and her young grandchild.

The fiscal said: “Without saying a word and appearing calm and whilst still running, he forcibly grabbed the child with one arm and ran towards the front door.

“The child started crying hysterically and appeared petrified.”

Kaluzny was unable to leave the locus due to the electronic door system.

A number of staff and members of the public approached and shouted at him.

The child’s grandmother hit him with her handbag in an attempt to get the child back, but Kaluzny hit her on the face with the bat, causing her to stumble backwards.

A staff member, Ryan Chaplin, hit Kaluzny with a shopping trolley.

The child was pulled free although was “extremely upset” and had wet and soiled themselves.

Police arrived quickly and Kaluzy was taken to headquarters – managing the snap the handcuffs during the journey, injuring his wrists.

He admitted that on April 5, at Toys R Us, Kingsway West retail park, he had an offensive weapon, behaved in a threatening or abusive manner, committed an offence of public indecency, assaulted and abducted a child, and assaulted a woman to her injury.

He further admitted an act of vandalism, within a police car travelling from Toys R Us to police headquarters.

Sentence was deferred until January 20 for reports and Kaluzny was remanded meantime.

A 19-YEAR-OLD man has been charged over claims he deliberately reversed into a police car and nearly struck an officer.

It is alleged that PC Simon Lee was in the process of getting out of his vehicle when Conor MacLeod crashed into it on a Dundee street.

MacLeod, of Lawton Terrace, appeared in private at Dundee Sheriff Court in relation to seven charges.

He made no plea or declaration when appearing on petition.

The charges relate to seven alleged offences that are said to have happened on November 12 in the Law area of Dundee.

MacLeod is charged with driving a car without insurance, without a licence, and without an MOT certificate. And he is charged with dangerous driving by deliberately reversing his vehicle towards an unmarked police vehicle, being driven by PC Frank Donald at Law Road.

This charge goes on to state that PC Lee was in the process of alighting from the vehicle when MacLeod allegedly hit it, and that PC Lee was forced to take evasive action to avoid being struck by MacLeod’s vehicle.

And it states that both vehicles were damaged as a result of the alleged offence. MacLeod also faces a charge of failing to stop and provide his details following the incident, and a charge of failing to report the incident to police.

And he faces a final charge of keeping an unlicensed vehicle on a public road. The case was continued for further investigation and MacLeod was remanded in custody meantime.

Figures from Police Scotland show that there was a significant rise in alleged dangerous driving offences reported to officers in the first half of 2015/16 compared to the same period last year.

There were 58 incidents reported this year, compared to just 15 last year. In total, more than 2,000 alleged driving offences were reported.

A MAN repeatedly hit another man on the head, leaving him with two facial fractures and needing surgery.

Robert Williamson, 38, of Ballindean Road, was jailed for 17 months at Dundee Sheriff Court.

Williamson was found guilty after trial of assaulting Michael Irvine by seizing him by the clothing and repeatedly striking him on the head, to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and permanent impairment, at Kemnay Gardens, on December 8 last year.

He also admitted another charge of sending electronic messages to his former partner, Carrie Anderson, in which he made threats to interfere with her everyday life and called her offensive names, at a property in Fintry Drive, between June 15 and 16.

Solicitor Ann Duffy, defending, told the court Williamson had “difficulty” reacting to conflict.

Sheriff Drummond said: “You were found guilty by a jury of repeatedly hitting Mr Irvine, and the level of violence used was very serious.

“He sustained two facial fractures and had to have a plate and screws inserted into his face.

“Given the nature of the offence and the gravity of the injuries inflicted, I have no other option than to send you to prison.”

Williamson was jailed for 15 months on the assault charge and he was given a further 54 days’ imprisonment in relation to the charge under the Communications Act.

A 24-year-old Latvian man has appeared in private in Dundee Sheriff Court charged with the murder of another man in the city last week.

Aldis Minakovskis of  Thurso Crescent is accused of stabbing Aigars Upenieks and murdering him.

The charge alleges that the incident took place in a common close at  92 Thurso Crescent, Dundee on December 23.

No plea or declaration was made and Minakovskis was remanded in custody.

A man who hid cameras inside shower gel tubs to film women and children in a bathroom has been jailed for four years.

Kevin Enticknap, 42, was locked up by Sheriff Elizabeth Munro at Dundee Sheriff Court.

Following his release, Enticknap will be subject to a two-year supervised release order into the community and placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.

The court previously heard Enticknap had filmed women and children undertaking private acts in a bathroom at a Dundee home.

He then stored the videos on his phone so he could view them later.

Enticknap also drilled a hole in a wall, to allow himself to peer into the bathroom.

The woman involved said they felt “completely shocked, sick and totally violated” and were embarrassed at the “total invasion of privacy,” the court heard.

Enticknap also downloaded indecent images of children, and intelligence led police to raid his home in February.

A laptop and three mobile phones were seized from his home, in Dundee, and found to contain 249 indecent images and 75 indecent videos.

Investigations also revealed Enticknap sexually assaulted a child sometime between 2010 and 2013, at a property in Dundee.

Solicitor Larry Flynn, defending, said: “This is a classic case of taking a risk and pushing the boundaries. He moved from pushing one boundary to another.

“Clearly his behaviour was out of control – there was no logic to it and no particular interest. It was a complete breach of trust.

“There are three strands to the defending, downloading the images, setting up the camera, and photographs. Once he stepped over the line he kept pushing.”

Enticknap, formerly of Dundee but now of Forres, Moray, admitted taking or permitting to be taken, or making, indecent photographs or pseudo photographs of children, earlier this year, at a property in Dundee.

And he admitted sexually assaulting a child, between 2010 and 2013, also at a property in Dundee.

Enticknap further admitted recording a child undertaking a private act, with the intention of enabling himself or another to look at the image, by having installed a covert camera in a bathroom, between dates last year and this year, at the same location.

He also admitted the same crime with a different child, on a date last year, and five other women, between late last year and early this year.

Sheriff Munro said: “I take a very serious view of this.

“A prison sentence is inevitable and I think you are prepared for that.”

A Dundee woman who raked in £32,000 in single person tax credits was caught after benefits bosses saw a Facebook post about her wedding anniversary.

Margaret Grieve fraudulently claimed working and child tax credits for three years, telling HM Revenue and Customs she was a single mother-of-two. But the 53-year-old was living with her husband of over 20 years at their home in Fintry. The first-time offender will return to Dundee Sheriff Court on February 12 to be sentenced.

Depute fiscal Eilidh Robertson told the court: “When the Department of Work and Pensions heard the accused was maintaining a common household with her husband Frederick Grieve, an investigation began.”

Miss Robertson said the probe found Mr Grieve’s car insurance being paid from Mrs Grieve’s bank account and that Mr Grieve had the accused’s address as his home address with his employer.

Grieve later told fraud investigators she knew about her responsibility to notify HMRC of any change in her circumstances.

Grieve, of Finella Terrace, admitted fraudulently claiming £32,000 in Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit between April 2008 and April 2011.

A 30-YEAR-OLD man has been charged after more than £1,000 of cocaine was allegedly seized from a Kirkton home.

Police stormed an address at Kirkton Crescent as part of what they said was their programme called Operation Slate, which tackles drug crime around Tayside.

Witnesses told how several police cars were parked outside the property — which lies near the Kirkton branch of ASDA — just after 9am on Wednesday while officers made their inquiries inside the building.

Residents said dogs were also taken from police vans and led around the home.

Following hours spent searching the house, police claimed that £1,200 worth of cocaine was boxed up and taken to their Bell Street headquarters in Dundee.

The force later revealed a 30-year-old man was charged with alleged drug offences following the raid.

The man concerned, William Haxton, appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court on Thursday in relation to the discovery and pleaded not guilty to supplying a controlled drug.

The court adjourned the case for trial until April 11 and an intermediate diet was arranged to take place on March 23.

Haxton was released on bail meantime.

A Police Scotland spokeswoman told the Tele that the warrant executed on Wednesday was one of the latest carried out as part of their Operation Slate crackdown.

The spokeswoman said: “Police Scotland can confirm that a 30-year-old man has been charged in connection with drugs offences following the recovery of Class A drugs with an illicit street value of around £1,200 from an address in Kirkton Crescent, Dundee, on Wednesday December 30, 2015.

“A report has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal and the man appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court.

“Operation Slate is an intelligence-led initiative aimed at reducing drug-related crime in our communities.

“If you have any information or concerns about drugs in your area contact Police Scotland on 101.

“Alternatively information can be provided anonymously to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

A Dundee woman who fraudulently claimed £27,000 benefits has been jailed for one year.

Anita Brown, 56, of Britannia Drive, was handed the sentence after admitting benefit fraud at Dundee Sheriff Court.

The court heard she told benefit bosses she lived alone with her adult son over four-and-a-half years.

In fact she was living with Ian Baillie, an offshore oil worker with a £53,000 a year salary.

Fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson said: “When she made the claim she said she was divorced, had no savings and was living only with her non-dependent adult son.

“Intelligence was received and an inquiry commenced into her links with Ian Baillie. They established they had a joint account where his £53,000 salary was paid in.

“She had an account in her own name where her benefits were paid that was used to pay some household bills as well as to regularly purchase clothes online, to fund the accused entering the Postcode Lottery and on one occasion a hotel trip.

“It would appear the joint account, funded solely by Mr Baillie, was used for the remainder of the household expenses.”

The pair were interviewed separately by benefit bosses and Mr Baillie told them he had lived at the address for 19 years.

Larry Flynn, defending, said: “No repayment has been made. She has no income.”

Brown admitted fraudulently claiming Employment Support Allowance between January 2 2009, and June 30 2013.

And she admitted fraudulently claiming housing and council tax benefit between June 14 2011, and June 30 2013, both at her home address and elsewhere.

A man stalked his ex and threatened to kill her new partner, in a supermarket car park in Dundee.

Mark Dowie, 45, was today placed on a non harassment order by Dundee Sheriff Court after admitting charges of stalking and abusive behaviour.

The order prohibits Dowie from contacting his ex-partner Elaine Pearson and her new partner Kmiec Kryzstof for five years.

The court heard the couple broke up in March last year, after 26 years together.

In the following three months Dowie sent Miss Pearson hundreds of text messages and letters up to 80 pages long, begging for reconciliation.

Fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson told the court Miss Pearson felt threatened by some of the messages and was fearful he might come to her address, or harm himself.

The fiscal said: “On one date in April she was driving in Tayport when she saw the accused’s car parked, which concerned her as he had no reason to be there.

“He then emerged from a lane nearby and waved at her to slow down but she drove on.

“On another occasion she was with her daughter in Tesco, Riverside.

“He approached them and was repeatedly trying to engage them, asking her to take him back.

“He followed them around the store for 20-25 minutes. He later returned and followed them again and was repeatedly told to leave.

“He was described as desperate and the complainer said she felt he was watching her all the time.”

On a third occasion she attended the same Tesco with her new partner, daughter and granddaughter.

The fiscal said: “When they parked her partner said the accused had driven passed and parked five or six spaces away.

“She got out and saw the accused. He started making threats to her new partner and shouted on him to come out and fight.

“He said he was going to kill him.”

Dowie then called Miss Pearson offensive names.

Dowie, a prisoner at Perth, admitted two charges on indictment of stalking and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.

The offences took place at addresses in Tayport, Fife, and Tesco, Riverside, Dundee, between March 21 and July 6, both last year.

Sheriff George Way placed Dowie on a two year community payback order, with two years supervision, as well as imposing the five year non harassment order.

A DUNDEE man is to stand trial in court on 23 sex charges — including raping and sexually assaulting children.

Derek Gall, whose address was given as Brougham Gardens, is accused of carrying out attacks on five children over an eight-year period between 2006 and 2014.

The indictment alleges that the assaults took place at locations throughout Tayside.

Gall is facing 16 charges that involve the alleged sexual assault, indecent assault, assault, rape or attempted rape of children.

The rapes are alleged to have taken place between late 2006 and the end of 2014.

Some of the rape charges allege that the attacks took place to the child’s injury. He is accused of performing sexual acts in some instances after pulling down the clothes of the children involved and in some instances he is accused of seizing their hands.

Some of the charges claim that the acts took place while the alleged victims were not in a position to give or withhold consent.

The 37-year-old is further accused of four charges of lewd, indecent and libidinous practices towards children.

Another charge alleges that Gall supplied a child with alcohol before performing a sex act on the child and inducing the child to perform a sex act on him.

Gall is also accused of sending sexual written communication to a child and sending that child indecent messages via social networking.

A further charge alleges that Gall bought a child clothing.

He then induced the child to put on the clothing before carrying out a sexual act, the indictment alleges.

There are further charges that relate to alleged lewd, indecent and libidinous assaults on children.

Gall denied all of the charges at a preliminary hearing in Glasgow.

A trial diet has now been set for January 20.

The trial is to be held at the High Court in Aberdeen

A man lost two of his fingers after his hand was crushed in a veneer press at a Dundee-based company.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard that James Doig had the two middle fingers of his right hand amputated after they were injured during an incident at Lam-Art Ltd.
Sheriff George Way fined Lam-Art £5,000.

Mr Doig has been employed for 20 years by the firm as a joiner, and operates an Orma veneer press when regular operators are on annual leave.

Fiscal depute Emma Stewart said Mr Doig was given training in the operation of the machine in 1997 when it was installed but he was not regularly responsible for switching it on.

On December 22, 2014, Mr Doig and Alan Lundie, a health and safety official, attended work to cover an order.

Mr Lundie’s role was mostly office-based and he had not been given training in switching the machine on.

The fiscal said Mr Doig arrived at about 7.45am, 15 minutes early for his shift, and Mr Lundie was opening up the offices and workshop.

The fiscal added: “Mr Lundie was aware that the platens required time to heat up to working temperature and decided to switch on the Orma veneer press.

“Under normal circumstances this would have been done by Brian Melville but since he was on leave, Mr Lundie started the machine rather than waiting for Mr Doig and his colleague to start work at 8am.”

He operated the machine and closed the platens until they were 4cm or 5cm apart, mistakenly thinking they would heat faster in a closed position.

When the machine did not appear to be heating up, he asked for the assistance of Mr Doig.

The fiscal continued: “After feeling the pipes, which were still cold, Mr Doig placed his right hand on the lower platen to check for signs of heat. At the same moment and without any warning, Mr Lundie operated the controls to close the platens.

“Due to the small gaps between the platens, they closed too quickly for Mr Doig to react and remove his hand. All four of his fingers were trapped between the platens.”

He went to hospital and sustained significant injuries to all four fingers and required surgery. The damaged index and little fingers were repaired but his middle and ring finger had to be amputated.

Lam-Art admitted one charge under the Health and Safety at Work Act. The firm admitted failing to ensure all people using the Orma veneer press had adequate health and safety information and written instructions for safe usage of the equipment, in particular to correct procedures for starting and setting up the machine.

An agent acting on behalf of the firm said what happened was a “most unfortunate breakdown of communication”.

A TEENAGER is set to stand trial accused of setting a fire at a Dundee shop.

Connor Mackintosh, 19, of Transform, in the city’s Jessie Devlin Close House, appeared in court to face two charges of fire-raising.

In a separate case he is also accused of threatening two people within a Dundee supermarket, while masked, with a knife.

Mackintosh denies wilfully setting fire to numerous bundles of newspapers at Marks & Spencer — which has entrances on Seagate and Murraygate — on September 27.

It’s alleged that the fire took effect and destroyed the newspapers.

And he denies wilfully setting fire to three wooden chairs and a variety of aerosol cans located within a delivery cage — with the fire allegedly taking effect and destroying the items.

Meanwhile, Mackintosh faces four other charges, for which he is also set to go on trial.

These charges relate to offences, all of which allegedly happened on March 14 last year, at the Morrisons supermarket on Afton Way, just off the A90 in Dundee. He denies stealing a quantity of confectionery and a bottle of beer, and having a knife in a public place without reasonable excuse or lawful authority.

And he denies behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by threatening two people — Robert Bridgeford and Keith Lightbody — with a knife while his face was masked, presenting a knife at them, and then threatening witnesses with violence while being detained by police.

Mackintosh further denies failing to disclose to PC Dylan Edmonds that he was in possession of a knife before being searched, therefore placing PC Edmonds at risk of injury.
It’s alleged that in doing so, he showed “utter disregard” for the consequences of his actions.

Mackintosh denied all of the charges during an appearance at Dundee Sheriff Court.

Trial takes place on both cases on January 12.

A teenager has pleaded guilty to a breach of the peace after shouting and swearing at police officers who were called to a party.

Eyewitnesses told how police descended on Elders Court in Lochee after being notified of an incident within the building.

In total, there were around five police cars and another two vans parked outside the block of flats yesterday.

Dozens of officers could be seen in and around the building.

Following their inquiries, a spokeswoman for Police Scotland confirmed that a teenager had been charged. Eighteen-year-old Kieren Thomson appeared at the city’s sheriff court today.

Fiscal depute Muhammad Sadiq told the court police officers were called to a flat at Elders Court at 6am.

The fiscal said: “There were a large number of people within the flat.

“The accused shouted offensive phrases towards the officers and swore and refused to desist.

“He was cautioned and charged.”

Solicitor Ann Duffy, defending Thomson, said her client suffered from a form of ADHD.

Sentence was deferred until January 29 for reports.

A resident at Elders Court said there were often emergency services in the area.

The man said: “I saw lots of police vehicles, probably about seven, but I had no idea what was going on.

“I try to keep myself to myself in this place as there is always trouble.

“There are always police round here so I tend not to pay much attention any more.

“There seemed to be a lot of activity. I just kept my head down though.”

A man who got out of a taxi without paying the fare, then punched the driver when he asked for the money, was made to pay compensation.

Alan McRae, 54, of Kerrystone Court, was made to pay £10.46 compensation at Dundee Sheriff Court, which was the original taxi fare.

The court previously heard McRae picked up the taxi from Nethergate, on August 1.

Fiscal depute Muhammad Sadiq told the court McRae was on a night out with friend John Farmer, 50, of Cobden Street.

The fiscal said Farmer left the town centre around 9pm and slightly later McRae got into a taxi and asked to go to Cobden Street.

When the taxi arrived, McRae refused to pay the fare and shouted towards the driver, and then punched the driver on the head.

The driver, Naseh Ahmad, contacted police who arrived shortly after and traced McRae inside one of the properties on Cobden, along with Farmer.

Farmer began to struggle with both officers and pushed one of them.

McRae admitted hiring a taxi and refusing to pay the fare of £10.46 on August 1 at Nethergate.

He also admitted assaulting Naseh Ahmad by seizing him by the clothing and repeatedly punching him on the head on the same date at Cobden Street.

Farmer admitted assaulting Pc Neil Wood by pushing him on the body and resisting two police officers on the same date and location.

Farmer was placed on a four month Restriction of Liberty Order confining him to his home address between the hours of 7pm and 7am daily.

A man who slashed another man’s neck in a Dundee supermarket car park has been jailed.

Edward Ward was jailed for 46 months at the Sheriff Court today with a one year supervised release order to follow his prison sentence.

Ward, 29, was found guilty after trial of assaulting Daniel Murphy with a Stanley knife outside Tesco Extra, Kingsway West, in August last year.

The jury heard Ward was encouraged by his fiancée Chelsea Malone, 23, who claimed Mr Murphy — a stranger to them both — swore at her during an argument.

It heard she then said to Ward “you gonna let him speak to me like that”.

Ward then struck Mr Murphy, who at first thought he had been punched before realising he had been struck with a Stanley knife.

Fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson told the jury in her closing speech “The way he acted throughout his evidence was entirely consistent with a young man who was utterly, utterly terrified.

“Ward claims he punched Mr Murphy once in self-defence.

“He claims no knife was used, and claims the injury must have been caused by a ring on his finger.”

The fiscal then dismissed Ward’s claim as “utter nonsense” adding that the assault with a knife left Mr Murphy with a “horrific and gruesome injury”.

Ward, a prisoner of Perth, was found guilty after trial of assaulting Daniel Murphy by striking him on the face with a Stanley knife to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement, at Tesco Extra, Kingsway, on August 15 2015 while on bail.

Ward’s partner Chelsea Malone was today placed on an 18 month supervision order after being found guilty of one charge against her.

Malone, of Dryburgh Crescent, was found guilty of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting and swearing at Daniel Murphy and threatening him with violence, on the same date and location, while she was on bail.

Sheriff Elizabeth Munro said: “You hold some responsibility of the injury caused. You seem to be very impulsive and don’t think things through.”

A drunken woman lashed out and spat at a nurse who was trying to help her.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard Tracy Balfour, 42, committed the assault at A&E, Ninewells Hospital.

Balfour, of Kinbrae Park, Newport, Fife, had been taken to hospital by ambulance around 2am on July 1 last year.

Fiscal depute Trina Sinclair said: “The accused was heavily under the influence of alcohol and had marks indicating self-harm on her body when she arrived at A&E shortly after 2am.

“She became aggressive to staff and started shouting and swearing. She also lashed out with her arms and kicked out with her legs towards staff.

“She was seen by a consultant at 3am, and the consultant had no concerns other than she was under the influence of alcohol.

“The consultant advised she was to be kept in overnight due to her level of intoxication.

“The accused then later became aggressive towards a nurse and began to scream and spat at her.”

Police were contacted and Balfour was arrested and a spit mask placed over her head.

Solicitor Larry Flynn, defending, said: “She clearly has issues with alcohol and has taken steps since then to get assistance for that.

“She was also on medication at the time of the offence for depression.”

Balfour admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by repeatedly shouting, swearing, lashing out with her arms and legs, and spitting, on July 1, at Ninewells Hospital.

She further admitted assaulting nurse Catherine Kerr by repeatedly lashing out with her arms, kicking out with her legs and spitting at her.

Sheriff Elizabeth Munro said: “I’m certainly not going to put up with this. People were trying to help her. She’s lucky she’s not being kept in custody for this.”

Addressing Balfour, the sheriff said: “This was shameful behaviour and the fact that they had to put a spit mask on you must have made you realise that.”

Sentence was deferred until February 10.