Teen driver forced police officers to jump from path of car, sex offender sent 14-year-old girl nudes - Court this week
Our reporters have been in court over the last week covering a wide range of local cases.
Read on as we bring you a roundup of our coverage.
Teen ‘stuck his middle finger up’ after driving at police officers
A teenager forced police officers to jump to safety by driving a car “directly towards them” before showing them his middle finger.
Police were locked in a 30-hour cat and mouse hunt for the Aberdeen youth, who drove dangerously across Inverness and Moray on March 10 and 11 last year.
Now 17-years-old, the teenager cannot be named for legal reasons but admitted three charges of driving dangerously and two of assault to danger of life at Inverness Sheriff Court.
Sheriff Gary Aitken warned the youth: "Detention is a probability."
The sheriff remanded him in custody until March 16 for a background report.
After questioning the teenager, who lives over 100 miles away, what he was doing careering round the streets of Inverness in the early hours of the morning: "You are clearly not a fit person to be freed."
Sheriff Aitken added that the youth "showed a staggering lack of consideration" for himself and those around him.
Jail for man who sent naked pictures to friend’s teenage daughter
A convicted sex offender who made advances towards a friend’s 14-year-old daughter and sent her naked images of himself left her with "substantial and ongoing effects".
Stewart Barclay, designated as a prisoner at Grampian HMP, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court and admitted to coercing the girl into looking at sexual pictures and communicating indecently with her between June and December 2022.
He did so at Elgin Bus Station, a house in the town, McDonald's restaurant and elsewhere - as well as in Turriff.
He was appearing for sentence before Sheriff Gary Aitken who told Barclay the charge was "grave in the extreme and demonstrated a course of behaviour over six months".
Sheriff Aitken jailed Barclay for 32 months and placed the 24-year-old on a six-year-long Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which includes severe restrictions on Barclay's internet use and a ban on communicating deliberately with any child under the age of 16.
Sex pest exposed himself to girl and sent nude pictures to five teenage girls
Five teenage women and a girl were harassed over a four-year period by a Nairn sex pest who demanded nude photos and sent explicit images to them uninvited.
In the dock at Inverness Sheriff Court was 28-year-old Codey Masson, of Ord View Brae, who had a previous conviction for a similar type sex offence committed during the same time frame of between August 2015 and August 2019.
He admitted six charges in total, one of engaging in sexual activity with a girl under the age of 16 and five others of communicating indecently with the women and sending photos of male private body parts to them and occasionally exposing himself to some of his victims.
Fiscal depute Pauline Gair told Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald that most of the incidents started innocently on social media but then got increasingly sexualised.
She said that the first offence involved a girl who was around 13 or 14 years old and they met initially at his home.
Buckie man became aggressive after curfew breach arrest
A Buckie man has been sentenced for going to the pub rather than staying at home under a court-imposed curfew.
Sean McDowell was granted bail on December 5 at Elgin Sheriff Court on the understanding that he remained indoors during the evenings. However, when the police called at his Baron Street home at 7.30pm on January 26 they found he wasn’t there.
The officers rang the 34-year-old’s mobile and were told by him that he was just a short walk away in a bar.
McDowell was subsequently cautioned and charged.
The court was told that he was initially cooperative but his mood changed as he was being brought into custody.
Fiscal depute Karen Poke said: “He became difficult, irate and aggressive. He adopted a fighting stance and told one of the officers, ‘I will break your jaw’.”
Defence solicitor Matthew O’Neill stated that his client had become upset because he believed his bail conditions allowed him to remain outdoors until 8pm on Sunday evenings.
The lawyer added: “He apologises for his behaviour.”
McDowell was given nine months to pay a £210 fine. In addition, Sheriff Philip Mann ordered him to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work for the community.
Elgin biker banned for crashing into oncoming car near Keith
An Elgin motorcyclist who severely injured himself after crashing into a car has been banned from the roads.
On June 5 last year Nickolas Johnston collided with a Mini Cooper travelling the opposite way along the A95 between Keith and Mulben.
Elgin Sheriff Court heard that, moments before the crash, the 37-year-old performed an overtaking manoeuvre while approaching a “blind summit”.
Unable to avoid the oncoming car on the other side of the hill, he ended up with his leg being pinned between it and his motorbike.
A campervan driver who arrived on the scene immediately afterwards reported seeing Johnston lying in the middle of the road, a full 100ft away from the bike.
Defence solicitor Megan Lee stated her client had broken his foot and damaged his tendons in the accident and would require ongoing physiotherapy for at least the next two years.
The lawyer said: “He’s grateful that the other driver was not badly hurt.”
The court was told that, “wracked” by returning thoughts of the collision, Johnston had since given up his job as a chef.
Johnston, whose address was given in court papers as Shaw Place, Elgin, pleaded guilty to causing the accident near Hilockhead Wood.
Sheriff Philip Mann imposed a £640 fine as well as a 16-month ban.
The defendant was also told he will have to sit and pass an extended driving test before he’s able to get his licence back.
