A Kelso woman appeared in private accused of a benefits fraud totalling almost £30,000.
Janet Dodsworth, 47, is said to have obtained £23,800 in income support, and £5,600 in housing and council tax benefits to which she was not entitled.
The offence is alleged to have been committed between August 2007 and November 2011.
She made no plea or declaration and the case was continued for further examination.
BEHAVIOUR ORDER
A former professional jockey was arrested after a heated argument with his partner who had objected to him going to the pub.
Liam Berridge, who used to race for top trainer Howard Johnston, appeared from custody and admitted a charge of shouting and swearing, and making offensive remarks at his home in Hawick on Sunday afternoon.
The 28-year-old, who works at a stable yard in Carluke, had earlier been out for a meal with his partner, but a row started as he wanted to go to another pub.
Tessa Bradley, prosecuting, said he was shouting obscenities at her and threatened to leave her and take all their money. When police arrived at the couple’s Waverley Cottages home, Berridge replied: “Can you not have an argument now?”
His lawyer, Ross Dow, said Berridge was a first offender and it was at the lower end of the scale as far as domestic arguments went.
Sheriff Craig Turnbull ordered Berridge to be of good behaviour for the next six months and deferred sentence until December 18.
GALASHIELS DRUGS OFFENDER
A Galashiels man found in possession of heroin and cannabis resin will be sentenced next month.
Darren Crawford, 30, pleaded guilty to the offences which were detected following a raid on his one-bedroom flat in Glendinning Terrace on March 6.
Tessa Bradley, prosecuting, said various drug paraphenalia were found, including scales, bags and a Kinder egg, as well as powder. It was later found to be £20 worth of heroin and up to £40 cannabis resin.
Sheriff Craig Turnbull called for a criminal justice social work report to be prepared and sentence was deferred until July 14.
LECTURER WAS DRINK-DRIVING
A university lecturer was almost five times the drink-drive limit when he was stopped in Selkirk’s Shawburn Road.
Patrick Harte, of Raeburn Place, Selkirk, who pleaded guilty, had a breath/alcohol reading of 161 micogrammes – the legal limit being 35 – on April 7.
The 50-year-old – who is a senior lecturer of business management at Napier University in Edinburgh – had sentence deferred until July 14 for a criminal justice social work report to be prepared.
THREE MONTHS FOR BREACH
A Hawick man was jailed for three months at Jedburgh Sheriff Court last Friday after breaching a community payback order (CPO)for the second time.
Daniel Findlater, 22, of Hillend Drive, admitted breaching a previously-imposed CPO.
Sheriff Derrick McIntyre told the accused he had been given plenty of opportunities.
SENTENCE DEFERRED
Sentence has been deferred for a background report on a Galashiels man who admitted a benefits fraud involving more than £26,000.
William Howie, 50, of The Pirns, admitted giving a false statement to officials at the Department of Work and Pensions, saying his savings totalled £1 when he had more than £16,000 invested. He claimed £13,629 in income support, and £12,742 in council tax and housing benefit he was not entitled to between August 2007 and September 26, 2011.
The case will recall on July 14 when the contents of a criminal justice social work report will be considered.
ST BOSWELLS ACCUSED
Tina McKenzie, 47, of Jenny Moore’s Court, St Boswells, will stand trial on July 1 accused of obtaining more than £12,000 in benefits she was not entitled to. She denies receiving income support, and housing and council tax benefit when she and her husband had savings which exceeded the permitted limit.
The offence is alleged to have been committed between August 2011 and March 2013.
An intermediate hearing will be held on June 16.
NOT-GUILTY PLEAS
A Galashiels man has been accused of trying to film two males using the toilet.
Charles Clamp, 20, of Wakefield Court, Huddersfield Street, faces two charges under under the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009.
He is accused of holding a mobile telephone above a toilet cubicle and attempting to record the men on separate occasions. The offences are said to have happened at Tesco in Galashiels on April 21.
Clamp pleaded not guilty to both charges and a trial date was fixed for September 30, with an intermediate hearing on September 1.
VANDALISED EX’S VEHICLE
After his relationship broke down, Janis Belka damaged his former partner’s car. The 25-year-old, of Laidlaw Terrace, Hawick, admitted recklessly damaging the vehicle by repeatedly kicking it and striking it with a piece of wood at a car park near the town’s Fairhurst Drive on April 13.
Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said: “He had been in a relationship and the vehicle belonged to his partner.”
Mr Fraser went on: “The relationship came to an end that day and he had been drinking heavily.
“She parked her car at the back of the house and a neighbour saw him strike the rear light cluster with a piece of wood, and also kick the vehicle.”
Ross Dow, defending, said the couple had been getting on badly and his client had far too much to drink, adding: “They are now separated.”
Belka was sentenced to a six-month community payback order with 100 hours of unpaid work.
WOMAN ADMONISHED
A Hawick woman who assaulted her partner has been admonished after being of good behaviour during a period of deferred sentence.
Aimee Jones, 30, of Melrose Court, pleaded guilty to assaulting her partner by punching him on the head, and scratching him on the face and body at her home on June 20 last year.
DENIES FIDDLING BENEFITS
A 20-year-old woman who denies falsely claiming more than £2,000 in benefits has had a further intermediate hearing set for June 13.
Joanna Witczak, of Galalaw Road, Hawick, is due to stand trial on June 26.
The accused is alleged to have claimed £1,794 income support and £526 housing and council tax benefit to which she was not entitled between January and August 2013.
Handgun allegations
Two Hawick accused who are due to stand trial by jury have had a further first hearing set for June 13.
Robert Searle, 21, of Fraser Avenue, and 31-year-old Stephen Scott, who lives at McLaren Court, have pleaded not guilty to assaulting a man at a house in Oliver Crescent, Hawick, on August 12 last year, forcing him on to a bed, repeatedly punching him on the head, presenting a handgun at him, uttering threats of violence and robbing him of a games console, games and a jacket.
Searle also pleads not guilty to assaulting a woman there, repeatedly uttering threats of violence and presenting a handgun at her.
DEFENCE GIVEN MORE TIME
A man accused of causing unnecessary suffering to a pregnant ewe has had his trial postponed until September 30.
Darren Brookshaw, 47, of Dryhope Farmhouse in the Yarrow Valley, denies deliberately striking an in-lamb ewe with a vehicle at Kirkstead Farm, Yarrow, on December 17, whereby it sustained a spinal fracture and posterior paresis, and leaving it alive and unable to rise overnight, and failing to obtain veterinary treatment, whereby it required to be euthanised on welfare grounds .
He was due to stand trial on June 10, but Selkirk Sheriff Court was told that the defence was still trying to identify a suitable expert to give a judgement on a veterinary report and requested more time.