A drunken 71-year-old man sexually assaulted a hospital employee.
Paul Cranston claimed to have no recollection of his behaviour after arriving at Borders General Hospital by ambulance. He had been taken there after falling over and sustaining a head injury.
In a busy accident and emergency department, he was verbally aggressive towards a doctor trying to treat him and belligerent with staff, said prosecutor Tessa Bradley.
She added: “He was staggering about the corridor, banging into the doors of other rooms, and blocked the way of a female member of staff, and grabbed her breasts over her clothing.”
Ms Bradley went on: “He started squaring up to the doctor, shouting and swearing at him.”
Cranston, of Old Town, Peebles, was fined £200 after he admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at the hospital on January 5. He was fined a further £320 for sexually assaulting an employee – a charge he also pleaded guilty to.
His lawyer, Mat Patrick, told the hearing: “He remembers nothing of this and, had he not been drunk, a bump to the head may have afforded him a defence.”
He said Cranston was “absolutely mortified and extremely distressed” by his behaviour which friends described as completely out of character.
Mr Patrick, who told Sheriff John Halley that his client had not been to the pub since the incident, added: “He grabbed the woman for literally seconds, although it is clear she was distressed and he apologises for that.”
The sheriff told the accused: “These are two serious offences because of where they occurred, and such behaviour within Borders General Hospital will not be tolerated.
“You were taken there for treatment and were drunk, and that is no excuse, and you ought to be ashamed.”
PAYBACK TIME FOR TEXT PEST
A woman changed her mobile phone number after being bombarded with offensive and indecent text messages from a stranger.
Thirty-one-year-old Ashley Bell, of Bannerfield Drive, Selkirk, admitted sending grossly-offensive text messages of an indecent, obscene or menacing character to the woman.
Depute procurator fiscal Tessa Bradley said: “She replied to a number of them and established that she did not know who the person was.
“From early August to October last year, she received about 150 to 200 text messages from the same number and decided not to engage in the messages as she didn’t know who it was.
“At first, she thought the person was just immature, but the volume of inappropriate texts became such that she changed her mobile phone number and reported matters to police.”
Investigations revealed that Bell had previously used that mobile number to contact police.
He confirmed he owned the phone and told officers he believed he had been sending the messages to a former neighbour.
Ed Hulme, defending, said: “There was a not-significant sexual element. It was alcohol-related.”
Sheriff John Halley told Bell: “You knew that the messages were unwelcome and this is also serious because of the length of time it continued.”
Bell was sentenced to a community payback order with 100 hours of unpaid work.
REFUSED TO LEAVE SHOP
A drunken customer refused to leave a chip shop at closing time.
Police were attending an unrelated incident nearby when the owner told officers he wanted to close his shop, but a drunk man, who he had served earlier, refused to leave.
James Muir was told to go, but he ignored a police sergeant who took hold of him to usher him out. Muir grabbed the door frame and both lost their balance and fell onto the pavement.
He was taken to Borders General Hospital for treatment and eventually arrested after being disruptive.
Muir, 30, of The Burns, Galashiels, admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at the town’s High Street and Sime Place, and at the hospital, on June 9 last year.
Defence solicitor Ed Hulme said his client was deeply ashamed of his behaviour which was alcohol-related.
Sheriff John Halley told Muir: “Drink having been taken is no excuse. You repeatedly engaged public services and disrupted them.
Muir was sentenced to a community payback order with 180 hours of unpaid work.
“This is a direct alternative to custody,” warned Sheriff Halley.
DANGEROUS DOG CHARGE
A woman who denies being in charge of an Airdale terrier which was dangerously out of control and attacked a four-year-old child, to her severe in
jury and permanent disfigurement, is due to stand trial by jury on May 19.
Karissa Johnstone had a further first hearing set for May 12. Nineteen-year-old Johnstone, of Eildon Road, Hawick, appeared on indictment and denied committing an offence under the Dangerous Dogs Act in the Borders last May.
The dog is alleged to have jumped on the child, causing her to fall to the ground, and bitten her on the head.
TEENAGER FACES JURY TRIAL
A Hawick teenager, due to stand trial by jury, had a further first hearing set for May 12.
Eighteen-year-old Andrew Birnie, of Sunnyhill Road, appeared on indictment and denied having a knife at Volunteer Park, Hawick, on December 1 last year. He also pleaded not guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner in a police van en route to the town’s police s tation.
ALLEGED KNIFE OFFENDER
A Hawick man who denies brandishing a knife at a child will stand trial by jury on July 7, with a first hearing on June 16.
Michael Davidson, 39, of Bright Street, pleaded not guilty to threatening a 12-year-old with violence in the Borders last November, and holding a knife to the neck of another 12-year-old. He also denies having a knife without reasonable excuse.
ASSAULT ALLEGATION
A 43-year-old man appeared in private, charged on petition with assaulting a man to his severe injury in Galashiels.
Terence van Putten, from Galashiels, made no plea or declaration and was released on bail.