Moray court round-up
It has been an exceptionally busy week of court. We have nine Moray cases to bring you - including a teenager who burned down Poundland in Elgin and a Keith abuser who left three woman 'petrified'.
No custodial sentence for teenager who started Poundland fire[1] A teenage college student who started a devastating fire which destroyed the Poundland store in Elgin will not face a custodial sentence.
Last month, a jury at Inverness Sheriff Court took less than an hour to find the 17-year-old - who cannot be named for legal reasons - guilty of starting the blaze on August 12, 2022. The fire was started when the teen set female sanitary products alight. It caused around GBP1 million worth of damage.
Sheriff Macdonald said she was not considering a sentence of detention for the young man. Instead she ordered him to be under supervision from social workers for the next two years.
Forres man's lack of attention leads to multi-vehicle crash near A96 and Auldearn[2]
A retired RAF firefighter's momentary lack of attention resulted in a multi-vehicle crash which left several people injured and one woman unlikely to walk again. The collision happened near the junction of the B9101 with the A96 at Auldearn on December 15, 2023 as 80-year-old Gordon Thomson, of Thornhill Road, Forres was driving his BMW home to Forres with his dog in the back seat.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that Thomson didn't notice a red Toyota Yaris slowing down ahead of him and he ran into the back of it.
'Gross breach of trust' as Banff youth group leader abuses boy[3]
A church youth group leader who was convicted in a trial of carrying out sexually inappropriate behaviour with a 14-year-old boy has been sentenced. Lauren Middleton (30) appeared at Banff Sheriff Court following a five-day trial in January after sentencing had been deferred for background reports. Middleton, a qualified nurse, of the town's Addison Crescent, was found guilty of sexually inappropriate behaviour with the teenager by repeatedly touching him on the body on a number of occasions at the boy's home and elsewhere.
She denied the charge against her which took the case to trial. At the court sentencing hearing, Sheriff Eric Brown told Middleton she knew or should have known that her behaviour was inappropriate. Elgin High Street sexual assault sees Cowdenbeath man put on sex offender's register[4]
A man who seized an unknown 19-year-old woman's buttocks on a night out has been placed on the sex offenders register. Paul Neilson, from Cowdenbeath in Fife, was also ordered to complete unpaid work during his sentencing at Elgin Sheriff Court.
The 44-year-old previously admitted sexually assaulting the 19-year-old on Elgin High Street, with the charge stating that he "did seize hold of her buttocks" on June 29, 2024. Elgin Sheriff Court heard that Neilson had pleaded guilty after CCTV recordings showed the offence taking place.
Fiscal depute Karen Poke said that the man had been out with friends on a Saturday night when the incident happened. "Around 2am, the complainant was out with his friends, standing outside Downtown looking up towards the taxi rank," she added.
Neilson, the court heard, then approached the 19-year-old before seizing her bottom and walking around her on the left side. Elgin man kicked and stamped on head of woman in vicious assault[5]
An Elgin man kicked and stamped on the head of a woman, leaving her with facial fractures, after earlier threatening to hit her with a rock. Andrew Clark, of Hossack Drive, left the woman "slumped on the ground in front of her house" before leaving the scene in Cumming Circle.
The 31-year-old later threatened to cut his throat after police forced entry to his home on May 14, 2024. Officers had to deploy a PAVA spray and their batons to make him drop the knife.
Clark appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court, represented by his solicitor Stephen Carty, and admitted the serious assault and threatening behaviour. Huntly man kicked victim on the face outside Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin[6] A fight outside an Elgin hospital resulted in a man being knocked unconscious and requiring emergency surgery to a 3cm laceration to his lip which split and exposed his teeth.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that Jason Ewings had been in the back of an ambulance with paramedics at Dr Gray's Hospital on September 18 last year when a white Transit van pulled up.
Fiscal depute Emily Hood told Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald one of the two occupants was 22-year-old Adam Gillies, of New Road, Huntly and Mr Ewings got out of the ambulance and challenged one of them saying: "Which one am I going to fight with first?" Ms Hood said that Gillies approached Mr Ewings and was punched in the face before paramedics tried to intervene. Ex-Elgin City and Buckie Thistle footballer has new fraud trial date set[7]
A man facing 18 fraud charges linked to his football training business has been given a new trial date after a court appearance.
Ex-Elgin City and Buckie Thistle player Ceiran McLean is accused of defrauding 18 people a total of GBP12,144.98, according to the list of charges against him. The 33-year-old, whose address was listed in court documents as Inchbroom Avenue, Lossiemouth, also stands charged with a breach of unfair trading rules. The alleged offences spanned more than a year, between June 2021 and August 2022.
Keith abuser left three women 'petrified and terrified'[8] A Keith abuser controlled and assaulted three partners - one who was heavily pregnant - over 13 years and left his victims "petrified and terrified". Colin Morrison of Nelson Terrace pleaded guilty to two stalking charges and one charge assault to severe injury and permanent disfigurement at Inverness Sheriff Court.
Banff man banned from roads following dangerous driving offence[9] A driver who nearly caused a crash while attempting an overtaking manoeuvre has been banned from the roads. Calvin Ross (21) appeared at Banff Sheriff Court where he pleaded guilty to driving a car dangerously on the A947 road at King Edward on May 18 last year.
Fiscal depute Anne Mann told the court that Ross, of Moss Side Croft near Banff, had been driving his grandmother's car on the evening of the offence.
References
- ^ No custodial sentence for teenager who started Poundland fire (www.northern-scot.co.uk)
- ^ Forres man's lack of attention leads to multi-vehicle crash near A96 and Auldearn (www.northern-scot.co.uk)
- ^ 'Gross breach of trust' as Banff youth group leader abuses boy (www.northern-scot.co.uk)
- ^ Elgin High Street sexual assault sees Cowdenbeath man put on sex offender's register (www.northern-scot.co.uk)
- ^ Elgin man kicked and stamped on head of woman in vicious assault (www.northern-scot.co.uk)
- ^ Huntly man kicked victim on the face outside Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin (www.northern-scot.co.uk)
- ^ Ex-Elgin City and Buckie Thistle footballer has new fraud trial date set (www.northern-scot.co.uk)
- ^ Keith abuser left three women 'petrified and terrified' (www.northern-scot.co.uk)
- ^ Banff man banned from roads following dangerous driving offence (www.northern-scot.co.uk)