Prison for heroin dealer
A drug dealer was jailed for four years and four months after heroin worth more than £2,500 was found at a house in Hawick.
Mohammed Akram, 45, described as a prisoner in Edinburgh, denied being concerned in the supply of the class A drug at Elm Court on December 28 last year, but was found guilty after a three-day jury trial at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.
Sheriff Derrick McIntyre backdated the prison term to December 28.
Motorcyclist disqualified
A motorcyclist, clocked at 124mph, was banned from the roads for 12 months.
Henry Drummond, 35, of New Hunterfield, Gorebridge, denied driving dangerously on the A7 Galashiels-Edinburgh road at Fountainhall on July 25 last year, but was found guilty after trial.
He was also fined £300 and ordered to resit an extended test at the end of the ban.
Cannabis offender
A POLICE search uncovered cannabis resin.
Brian Johnston, 32, of Duke Street, Galashiels, admitted possession of the class B drug on March 27 and was fined £100.
Police turned up at his home with a search warrant after receiving information and found cannabis resin worth £2.50.
Co-accused Zoe Forsyth, 22, of the same address, admitted possession of heroin on the same date and sentence was deferred until May 27 for a Borders Community Addiction Team report.
Sentence reimposed
A teenager who breached a community payback order (CPO) had his sentence reimposed.
Eighteen-year-old Liam Snow, of Glenburn Avenue, St Boswells, was resentenced to a two-year CPO and 200 hours of unpaid work.
Snow appeared on indictment and admitted assaulting a man to his severe injury at Mossilee Road, Galashiels, on August 27, 2011. The single blow left his victim severely injured.
When Snow originally appeared for sentence last June, solicitor George More explained: “This happened at a time when his life was in a bit of turmoil.
“Drink and recreational drugs were involved, and he very much regrets it. He has now completely stopped using drugs and has modified his alcohol intake.”
At that same hearing, Sheriff Kevin Drummond told Snow: “You have no previous convictions, but a single punch has resulted in death before.
“You could just as easily have found yourself standing in the High Court and facing a substantial period of imprisonment.”
Officers called to barney
Concerned neighbours contacted police after hearing a man threaten to kill his partner during a heated argument.
Nicholas Treeby spent three nights in custody as a result of his outburst.
At Selkirk on Monday, Sheriff Kevin Drummond warned the 24-year-old: “It is nobody’s business when you have an argument, but your neighbours shouldn’t be expected to share it.”
He admonished Treeby, adding: “Three nights in custody is an adequate punishment.”
Treeby, of Forest Hill, Galashiels, appeared from custody and admitted behaving in an abusive or threatening manner at his home on Friday.
Prosecutor Tessa Bradley described the couple’s relationship as “tumultuous” and told how neighbours heard them “screaming at the top of their voices”.
The accused was heard to shout, “I’m going to f*****g kill you”, which prompted a call to the police.
Another neighbour claimed the building “vibrated” due to the volume of the noise.
“The accused and his partner said they were entitled to argue in their own home and it was no-one else’s business,” added Ms Bradley.
Treeby told officers it was “only a five-minute barney”.
His solicitor, Iain Burke, said Treeby made the threat during the argument, with no intention of physical harm, adding: “It was just a comment he made in the heat of the moment.”
Knives charge is denied
A Kelso man who denies having two knives had a further first hearing set for May 13.
Roy Chilcott, 44, of Brisbane Place, appeared on indictment accused of having two knives at Kelso Square on July 21 last year.
He is due to stand trial by jury on May 21.
Benefits allegation
A Galashiels woman accused of falsely obtaining more than £25,000 in benefits over some seven years is due to stand trial by jury on May 21.
Karen Hendrie, 49, of Forest Gardens, appeared on indictment and denied obtaining £25,703.65 benefits to which she was not entitled between May 2004 and September 2011. A further first hearing was set for May 13.
Hearing date is set
A Hawick man who has pleaded not guilty to breaking into a house at Melrose and stealing shotguns, ammunition and jewellery had a further first hearing set for May 13.
Kevin Laidlaw, 26, of Minto Place, appeared on indictment and denied, while acting with others, breaking into the property between May 25 and May 28 last year.
Two accused face jury trial
Two men accused of being concerned in the supply of an illegal drug face trial by jury on July 15.
Graeme White, 33, of Bridgegate Court, Peebles, and 32-year-old Graeme Ellis, of Strand, Innerleithen, both deny producing cannabis and being concerned in the supply of the class B drug at a house at Bridgegate Court, Peebles, between February 20 and May 20 last year.
A further intermediate hearing was set for June 24.
Woman pleads not guilty
A Selkirk woman alleged to have falsely obtained more than £14,000 in pension credit faces trial on August 6.
Janette Kent, 57, of Murray Place, denies obtaining £14,892 in pension credit to which she was not entitled between October 2005 and February last year.