INVERNESS SHERIFF COURT ROUND-UP: County Lines drug dealer jailed and details of attack on chocolatier among last month’s court business
Inverness Sheriff Court saw a huge mix of criminal business in January. Here's our recap of some of the cases that made the headlines last month.
A 29-year-old Huyton man has been jailed for three years and nine months for drugs supply offences in Inverness after he was snared by a joint Police Scotland and Merseyside Police operation. Ryan Finlay pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and possession of cannabis through what is called a County Line - a way of transporting illegal narcotics from cities to other parts of the UK.
o A Fort William man who tried to buy drugs in Inverness attacked his dealer when he was denied his illegal purchase. John MacGillivray, of Lundavra Road, was in the Highland capital and met his supplier and his associates in a lane near Waterloo Place on October 3 last year, Inverness Sheriff Court was told. o A bus journey through Inverness became a terrifying experience for a woman passenger after a drunk man got off the vehicle. Inverness Sheriff Court heard that the woman had intended disembarking at Raigmore Hospital but changed her mind when 43-year-old Brian Robertson alighted first and then stared at her through the window. o A GP has failed to overturn a sheriff's finding that a baby girl's death from a rare cancer might have been avoided if she referred the infant to specialist care. Dr Karen Duncan's lawyers asked Court of Session judge Lady Haldane to overturn a determination made by a sheriff following a fatal accident inquiry. Jessi-Jean MacLennan was 20 months old when she died of Wilms tumour, a rare kidney cancer found in children. o Drinking an early morning strong 'hot toddy' to enable a pensioner sleep cost a 71-year-old Inverness man his driving licence. Inverness Sheriff Court heard that police received a report of a possible drink-driver and were tasked to track down the vehicle. o A well-known Inverness businessman was car-jacked on his way to work as a chocolatier in the city and spent 10 days in intensive care after a brutal attack by two young men over a year ago. Lucas Story's van was flagged down by Callum Ross (19) and Matthew Bell (24) on Merlewood Road, Inverness on the morning of December 19, 2023 who said they wanted a lift. o A family were subjected to a terrifying ordeal by a knife-wielding intruder in their Inverness flat and were forced to flee for help. The woman and her children were confronted by 22-year-old local man Ellis Williams in their kitchen in Riverside Court on the evening of August 29, 2024. o A sex predator who left women suffering from the impact of his violence and abuse on them has been jailed for more than seven years. Andrew Hughes subjected one woman to indecent assault and repeated rape and physically attacked and threatened a second victim. o A 35-year-old Inverness man who was running a private security operation in Ukraine for several years mistook an innocent bystander for earlier damaging his T-shirt. Michael Agnew, of Stratherrick Park, spotted him and his two friends on the High Street and as he rushed bare-chested past him while carrying his T-shirt, he turned back and pushed his helpless victim on the chest on the night of June 14, 2023. o A Leicester man currently serving a jail sentence for drug dealing was involved in a high-speed chase through Inverness after police stopped his car because the driver was prohibited from being in Scotland. Joshua Quartey (25), of East Bond Street, appeared by video link at Inverness Sheriff Court and admitted several road traffic offences which were committed on April 5, 2022 while he was on bail to stay out of the country. o A Birmingham man has been jailed after headbutting a woman who was working in an Inverness pub. Shaun McGeough (32), of Winchester Road, carried out the drunken assault on the staff member at Blacksmiths pub in Culloden on January 6, 2024 after going out for drinks with his partner. o An Inverness hairdresser was ordered to pay an assault victim GBP800 in compensation after she punched the woman on the nose in a city bar. The attack happened in Lauders bar in Church Street on October 22, 2022 and 33-year-old Beth Morrison, of Drynie Terrace, was due to stand trial. o A 50-year-old Inverness man who abused retail and bar staff as well as police was described by a sheriff as "a complete menace when drunk". But Sheriff Gary Aitken stopped short of jailing John Mackay, of Tomnahurich Street, when he appeared from remand to be sentenced on a multitude of offences. Picture: Facebook A gambling addict who fleeced his elderly and vulnerable neighbour out of GBP4500 to fund his addiction was jailed for eight months at Inverness Sheriff Court. Sentence had previously been deferred for a background report on 69-year-old first offender Angus Brady but although he had no previous convictions, Sheriff Gary Aitken decided to send him to prison. o The strong smell of cannabis led to neighbours complaining to police about the stench and led officers to catch the drug dealer. Inverness Sheriff Court heard that a raid was carried out by police on 28-year-old Ryan Anderson's house in Esk Road, Inverness on May 21, 2023 and he invited them in. o A teenage armed robber who took police on a 120mph chase after holding up a petrol station has been locked up. The 19-year-old was also given a driving ban. o Two men have been charged after a car chase on the A82 ended in a crash that left a police officer seriously injured in hospital. The incident took place on Sunday evening after police received reports at around 5.10pm that a silver Subaru Forester had been stolen from Cambrai Court in Dingwall. o A paedophile who groomed a girl and later raped her when she was 15 has had his sentence nearly doubled after the original judge's five year sentence was ruled "unduly lenient". Lee Murray (53), who was a football coach in Inverness, was jailed at the High Court in September last year after being found guilty of the rape and a trio of other charges. o 
View our fact sheet on court reporting here
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