Moray court roundup - Lossiemouth man’s aggressive tirade, farmer’s neglect of cattle and man and woman stand trial for attempted murder
Another busy week of court featuring a variety of local cases has passed.
Read on as we bring you a roundup of our coverage.
Moray man and woman to stand trial for attempted murder
A man and a woman from Moray are to stand trial for attempted murder.
Mark Virtue (53) and Demi Dunlop (31) are alleged to have attacked Graeme Fern at a property in Elgin during March 2023.
It is being claimed that they repeatedly struck him on the head with an “unknown implement”.
The pair pleaded not guilty to all charges when they appeared at Glasgow High Court today.
They were granted bail until the trial which was fixed for December 2 at Aberdeen High Court.
Elgin court appearance for two men after £800,000 of drugs seized in Moray
Two men have appeared at Elgin Sheriff Court after more than £800,000 of drugs were recovered during a series of police raids.
Mark Davidson, who’s aged 34 and from Moray, appeared in private along with Ben Terry (33) who was listed in court papers as having no fixed abode. Both were charged with offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act (1970).
Neither man offered a plea and they were granted bail until their next court appearance whose date has yet to be confirmed.
Cocaine, ecstasy and ketamine with an estimated street value of £814,000 were seized on Tuesday.
At 6.25am that morning police officers simultaneously executed search warrants at three locations in Moray – Tower Place in Elgin, South Road in Garmouth and Speymouth Drive in Mosstodloch.
Alongside the drugs £22,500 in cash was also recovered.
Lossiemouth man became aggressive with woman who showed concern after he fell on Stagecoach bus
A man who became aggressive with a woman who showed concern after he fell on a Stagecoach bus has been ordered to pay a £1200 fine.
Elgin Sheriff Court heard that Scott Alexander was on a bus on July 28 in 2023 when he fell and hit his head after the vehicle stopped abruptly near Station Park in Lossiemouth.
A 39-year-old woman who had saw him fall also got off the bus and suggested that he seek medical treatment for his injury.
The remark sparked an aggressive response however and the court heard that Alexander then attempted to grab the woman, ask her name and then question, "Are you a lesbian?" as she tried to walk away.
A 63-year-old Moray farmer has been sentenced to 240 hours of unpaid work after emaciated cattle which ultimately died were found on his property.
Douglas Duncan, a lifelong farmer, appeared at Elgin Sheriff Court on Thursday after an inspection from the SSPCA found the neglected animals on his farm in Knockando.
The court heard that on June 5, 2022, concerned neighbours alerted the SSPCA to the poor condition of some of Duncan's livestock.
An inspector attended the farm and Duncan allowed them onto his property.
Behind a stone shed, they found three shorthorn heifers which were described as a "dreadful sight" by the inspector.
