WHEN a nurse told a disruptive 16-year-old he was causing distress to a young child being treated in an adjoining hospital cubicle and his parents, he replied: “I don’t give a f**k”.
Kyzer Summers had been taken to Borders General Hospital by ambulance and began shouting and swearing.
“A nurse advised him that his behaviour was distressing to a five-year-old boy who was struggling to breathe in the next cubicle. She said he was also causing distress to the family. His response to that was, ‘I don’t give a f**k’,” said prosecutor Graham Fraser at a previous hearing.
Summers added: “I’ll kick his heed in an a’.”
Summers, of Caddon Court, Innerleithen, admitted obstructing a nurse and repeatedly shouting and swearing, uttering threats of violence and acting in an aggressive manner toward her on August 30.
Sheriff Peter Paterson sentenced Summers to 80 hours of unpaid work, to be completed within six months, warning him: “This is a direct alternative to jail. The court has made it quite clear that this kind of behaviour is totally unacceptable.”
CHRISTMAS DAY ASSAULT ON WIFE
A husband who assaulted his wife on Christmas Day had sentence deferred for six months for good behaviour.
Slawomir Korlaga was released on bail with a condition not to enter Beech Avenue in Galashiels or to contact his wife, other than by telephone or email to arrange contact with his children.
Korlaga, 33, of Talisman Avenue, Galashiels, admitted pushing his wife to the ground at their Beech Avenue home.
The court heard how an argument escalated when the accused said he was leaving and he pushed her out of the way.
Defence solicitor Iain Burke said the couple had been living “separate lives” since December after Mrs Korlaga “became involved in a relationship with a fellow factory worker”.
Mr Burke added: “He was trying to leave the house and she was standing in his way, refusing to allow him to go, and he pushed her out of the way. The marriage is at an end.”
Sheriff Peter Paterson deferred sentence until August 4, telling Korlaga: “If you are of good behaviour, I will impose a fine, but if not, I may send you to jail.”
DAMAGED VEHICLE
After their relationship broke down, Daniel Brown damaged his former partner’s car.
Brown, 22, of Links Avenue, Montrose, admitted making offensive and abusive comments, and striking a vehicle at Broomilees Road, Darnick, on October 18. He was fined £200.
Brown also pleaded guilty to smashing windows, damaging tyres and breaking lights on the same car at Priorwood Court, Melrose, on December 7. For this he was fined £300 and ordered to pay £100 compensation for the damage caused.
Defending, Mat Patrick described his client as “an immature young man”, adding: “He handled the breakdown of his relationship badly and began drinking too much.”
PUNCHED EX’S GIRLFRIEND
A GALASHIELS woman who assaulted her former partner’s girlfriend was ordered to complete 50 hours of unpaid work.
Nicola Cairney, 28, of Winston Place, admitted punching the woman on her head at Overhaugh Street, Galashiels, on October 6.
The offence happened during the early hours of the morning after the accused came out of a nightclub and met the couple, who had been at a local pub.
Cairney swung a punch at the woman, knocking off her glasses. She sustained bruising and swelling, but no medical attention was required.
Defence solicitor Iain Burke described the offence as “an unfortunate escalation of an ongoing dispute between the accused and this man”, adding: “She lost control and lashed out. She is appalled by her behaviour and apologies for what she has described as losing it.”
SECTARIAN CHANTS
A teenager who used sectarian language was fined £250.
Sean Anderson, 19, of Byrewalls Farm Cottage, Gordon, admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at Channel Street, Galashiels, on November 10.
The offence happened near a busy taxi rank at 3.20am on a Sunday.
Depute procurator fiscal Tessa Bradley said: “Three groups started singing football chants. These were of a sectarian nature and they were becoming more vocal. Police moved into the group to try to calm the situation and saw the accused who chanted, ‘F**k the Pope and the IRA’.”
Anderson’s lawyer, Iain Burke, said his client, a first offender, was ashamed of his behaviour.
Mr Burke went on: “He had been out and consumed far too much alcohol. He accepts that it was offensive, but wishes to make it clear that he has no prejudice and no idea what prompted him to do this.”
Sheriff Peter Paterson told the teenager: “The Borders is relatively free of this sort of nonsense, and it is something that society can well do without.”
SELKIRK MAN FACES TRIAL
A SELKIRK man who denies his dog was dangerously out of control will stand trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on February 17.
Fifty-five-year-old Robert Laidlaw, of Muthag Street, pleaded not guilty to being the owner of a Rottweiler which was dangerously out of control at Raeburn Meadow, Selkirk, and attacked a seven-year-old, jumping on him, causing him to fall to the ground, and repeatedly biting and scratching him on the body, all to his injury, on April 13 last year.
INDECENT IMAGES CHARGES
A 34-year-old man who denies having indecent photographs of children will stand trial on February 18.
William Brown, of Bleachfield Road, Selkirk, pleaded not guilty to possession of indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of youngsters at his home on May 8.
He also denies taking or permitting to be taken, or making, indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of children.
BENEFITS ALLEGATION
A St Boswells woman who denies falsely obtaining more than £12,000 in benefits will stand trial on April 29.
Tina Mackenzie, 47, of Jenny Moore’s Court, pleaded not guilty to obtaining income support, housing and council tax benefits of £12,330.24 to which she was not entitled between August 25, 2011, and March 31 last year.
An intermediate hearing was set for March 31.
PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT
A Tweedbank man who sent a friend late-night text messages saying he was aroused by a naked two-year-old girl and wanted to touch her had sentence deferred until March 17 for a psychological assessment.
Lee McDowall, 25, who pleaded guilty, was placed on the Sex Offenders Register when he originally appeared from custody in December.
The “vulnerable” adult who received the messages was so concerned about their content he showed them to his support worker and police were called.
McDowall admitted sending offensive or obscene text messages from his home in Jura Drive on December 27/28.
At a previous hearing, defence lawyer Iain Burke said his client had no intention of touching a two-year-old girl, realising it was wrong and that he would be sent to prison.
He added: “He was under the influence of alcohol at the time and the text conversation became more sexually oriented in nature. But it was complete and utter fiction.”
Prosecutor Tessa Bradley said the accused was banned from internet access without approval.
She added: “He has been diagnosed as having a low IQ and a mild learning disability. The recipient of the message was a vulnerable adult he met while working in a voluntary gardening group at a school for people with learning difficulties.
“They were having a text conversation and during the course of this there were a number of messages about the accused being in the company of a two-year-old girl and being aroused by her.
It later emerged that the child was not real.”
SENTENCE DEFERRED
A motorist who drove on the A7 between Galashiels and Stow after drinking, forcing other drivers to take evasive action, had sentence deferred for reports until March 31.
Joshua Bird, 24, of Mill Road, Stow, appeared from custody and admitted driving at excessive speed while under the influence of alcohol, causing other motorists to take evasive action, on Friday.
He also pleaded guilty to driving with a breath/alcohol reading of 68 mcgs – the legal limit being 35 – and driving while disqualified and without insurance.
Railway worker Bird was in a “work vehicle” at the time. He was bailed and banned from driving meantime.