Teenagers ignored police warnings
TWO drunken teenagers, told not to return to Saturday’s Melrose Sevens after earlier rowdy behaviour, ignored police warnings and went back to the town.
His defiance cost Dean Brown his liberty for a week after the 18-year-old was remanded in custody by Sheriff Kevin Drummond at Selkirk on Monday.
Brown, of Hall Street, and his 18-year-old co-accused, Jordan Cunningham, of King Street, both Galashiels, pleaded guilty to challenging each other to fight in Melrose High Street and committing a breach of the peace.
Brown also admitted failing to comply with a bail curfew to remain at his home on March 9/10.
Prosecutor Tessa Bradley told how Brown had been watching rugby with friends in Galashiels and decided to get a bus to a party in Coldstream.
His curfew required him to be at his home address by 8pm, but Brown didn’t return until the next day.
“He said he was aware of his curfew, and was supposed to be back in Gala by 8pm, but got a bit too drunk,” explained Ms Bradley.
She said the second offence happened when the Melrose Sevens was ongoing and the town’s High Street was extremely busy.
Brown and Cunningham were “loud and aggressive” and warned by police.
“They were taken back to Galashiels and told not to go back to Melrose. They ignored this and immediately returned to Melrose, and were warned again about their drunken behaviour in the centre of the town,” the prosecutor told the sheriff.
Ms Bradley said officers were alerted to a confrontation in the High Street and found the two accused facing up to each other.
Both were detained, with Cunningham making no reply and Brown responding: “I want to make a complaint.”
Mat Patrick, representing Brown, said his client had a serious alcohol problem.
He said the first offence happened when Brown went to a party with friends in Coldstream, adding: “He had always intended to return home before 8pm, but he drank far too much.
The lawyer said Brown had been injured and was later found to have sustained a fractured jaw.
Referring to the Melrose incident, Mr Patrick conceded: “Again drink plays a factor and too much was taken.”
He said Brown had made steps to attend alcohol counselling.
Ed Hulme, for Cunningham, said his client thought the police meant he was not to return to the sevens, rather than the town of Melrose.
Brown was remanded in custody, while Cunningham was released on bail, to appear for sentence on April 22.
Sheriff Drummond told a disgruntled Brown: “This court does all it can to keep young men out of custody, but you were on five bail orders and a curfew, and have five deferred sentences. Every effort has been made and you will be remanded in custody for all your cases to be dealt with together.”
Lorry driver was over limit
A LORRY driver, transporting water from Strathclyde to Peebles in an articulated tanker, was more than twice the alcohol limit when caught on Monday.
Forty-four-year-old Mark Kelly was asked at short notice to make the journey and agreed, despite drinking earlier in the evening.
Kelly, of Glen Street, Paisley, admitted driving a lorry on the A72 with a breath/alcohol reading of 89 mcgs – the legal limit being 35.
Prosecutor Tessa Bradley said Kelly had been contacted around 10pm and asked to make an early start as part of a convoy travelling to Peebles, adding: “He left the depot in East Kilbride, driving a tanker filled with water.”
Police received an anonymous early-morning call suggesting the accused was driving under the influence and found the lorry at Hay Lodge car park in Peebles.
“The engine was warm and he was found at the water treatment depot in Bonnington Road. There was a strong smell of alcohol and he confirmed he had been driving the lorry. It was a fully-laden articulated tanker, weighing 44 tons,” added the prosecutor.
Greig McDonell, defending, said his client, who appeared from custody, would lose his employment as a result of the conviction.
“He was contacted at 10pm and had been drinking during the early evening, so should not have accepted the work,” he added.
Sheriff Kevin Drummond, describing the offence as highly irresponsible and a danger to other road users, fined Kelly £400 and banned him from driving for three years.
Man caught with cocaine
A GALASHIELS man found with cocaine was fined £400.
Iain Crawford, 35, of Douglas Place, admitted possession of the class A drug at the town’s High Street on February 2.
Tessa Bradley, prosecuting, said police, acting on information received, stopped the accused as he left a pub, adding: “His eyes were dilated and he was evasive when police spoke to him.”
Crawford told the officers he had cocaine in his pocket and a search revealed half a gram of the illegal drug, worth £20.
Defending, Greig McDonell said Crawford, a self-employed builder, had the cocaine for his personal use and had not used drugs since.
Payback order for shoplifter
A 50-YEAR-OLD who stole a bottle of wine from Tesco’s Galashiels store was sentenced to a six-month community payback order, with a condition he completes 40 hours of unpaid work.
Eric Haig, of Gala Park, Galashiels, admitted stealing alcohol from the Paton Street supermarket on March 13. He was stopped as he tried to leave the store and the wine, worth £5, was recovered.
The accused told police: “I was on Valium and don’t know where I’ve been for the last few days.”
His lawyer, Mat Patrick, said his client suffered from a “long-term alcohol problem”, adding: “When he is trying to wean himself off alcohol, he will take Valium, as he has had some success with that in the past. He is making an effort to detox.
“His father died and his son was deployed to Afghanistan, so he reverted to drinking.”
Haig also had sentence deferred for six months for good behaviour after he pleaded guilty to stealing alcohol from Keystore, Eastgate, Peebles, on April 10.
Victim left unconscious
A DRUNKEN teenager who assaulted a stranger at Tesco’s, knocking him unconscious, has been banned from the Galashiels store for six months.
Seventeen-year-old Sean Keene was also placed on an ASBO (antisocial behaviour order) for two years.
Keene, of Station Road, Stow, was 15 years old when, along with another youth, he repeatedly punched the man at the Paton Street supermarket on July 19, 2011.
Repair bill for door damage
A DRUNKEN man who damaged a door with a hammer was ordered to pay £246.21 compensation for its repair.
Douglas Cruikshank was also sentenced to a 12-month community payback order, with a condition he completes 80 hours of unpaid work.
Cruikshank, 37, of Winston Road, Galashiels, admitted having an offensive weapon – a hammer – at Woodstock Avenue, Galashiels, on May 12 last year.
He also pleaded guilty to damaging a door there with a hammer.
Defending, Mat Patrick said his client had since “drastically reduced” his drinking.
Remanded
in custody
TWO Hawick men appeared in private, charged on petition with assaulting a man to his severe injury in the town.
Gordon Elliot, 27, and Lee Smith, 32, made no plea or declaration, were fully committed and remanded in custody.
Nightclub stabbing
STABBING a woman in a Hawick nightclub resulted in Louise Boughen being sentenced to an 18-month community payback order.
Boughen, 32, of Roxburghe Drive, Hawick, admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at Base in Baker Street on September 15 last year, and assaulting a woman by stabbing her with a sharp instrument to her injury.
Ross Dow, defending, said his client had stabbed the woman on the leg and back with a pen, adding: “The Crown accepted this was retaliation for an earlier unprovoked attack by the complainer.”
Cannabis offender
HAVING more than £100 worth of cannabis, with intent to supply, cost Ryan Kennan a £550 fine.
Kennan, 22, of Wellfield Road, Hawick, admitted committing the offence at his home between February 12 and 16 last year.