Jailed for eight months
A 25-year-old who breached a Sexual Offences Prevention Order by being drunk in the street, has been jailed for eight months.
Dean Smith of Beech Avenue, Galashiels, appeared from custody at Jedburgh Sheriff Court last Friday, and admitted breaching the Order – which prohibits him from being intoxicated in a public place – at Aster Court, Galashiels, on June 12.
Sheriff Derrick McIntyre also ordered Smith to complete 24 days of unexpired sentence before beginning the new jail term.
Appeared in private
A 39-year-old man has appeared in private, charged on petition with being concerned in the supply of cannabis in Hawick.
Colin Richardson of Charles Street, Hawick, made no plea or declaration and was remanded in custody meantime.
Hawick man in alleged assault
A Hawick man has appeared in private charged with assault and robbery in the town.
Carlos Castro De Veiga, 33, of Allars Bank, faces an allegation of assault to severe injury and robbery, believed to involve an elderly woman, on June 12. He made no plea or declaration and was remanded in custody meantime.
Sentence deferred
A local man, who admitted assault and robbery in Hawick, will be sentenced on July 18.
Twenty-one-year-old Robert Searle of Fraser Avenue, Hawick, appeared on indictment and admitted assaulting a man at a house in the town’s Oliver Crescent on August 12 last year, forcing him on to a bed, repeatedly punching him on the head, uttering threats of violence and robbing him of a games console and games.
Co-accused Stephen Scott, 31, of McLaren Court, Hawick, denied assaulting the man and robbing him, and his not guilty plea was accepted by the Crown.
Searle’s not guilty plea to a second charge of assaulting a woman there and presenting a handgun at her was accepted by the Crown.
Sentence was deferred until July 18 for reports, and Searle’s bail was continued.
Gala man fined over argument
A Galashiels man who shouted and swore, throwing items about the house, has been fined £200.
Rowland Swatton, 30, of Overhaugh Street, Galashiels, appeared from custody and admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at his home on June 12.
Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser told how police received a call and could hear a woman shouting.
“They were able to trace the address through the telephone number and could hear raised voices when they arrived,” explained Mr Fraser.
“She was crying and upset, and he said he had called the police, but didn’t mean it to connect.
“He has been in a relationship with this lady for a year and said they had an argument which got out of hand,” added Mr Fraser.
Admitted violent struggle
Upset at being arrested, a drunken man struggled violently with police officers.
William Devlin had to be taken to the ground and re-handcuffed as he kicked out and headbutted the floor.
Devlin, 22, of Trinity Street, Hawick, admitted struggling violently with police at Hawick Police Station on July 31 last year.
Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser told an earlier hearing how officers had attended an incident in the centre of Hawick.
Devlin, who was very drunk, was warned about his behaviour and told to go home.
When officers returned to another incident, Devlin was still there, and arrested.
He was taken to Hawick Police Station where he began to struggle with the officers.
“He had to be taken to the ground and rehandcuffed,” explained Mr Fraser.
“He kicked out and head-butted the floor, and it took three officers to subdue him.”
Solicitor Rory Bannerman, defending, described his client as “reasonable and sensible without alcohol”.
“Alcohol tends to get him into trouble,” explained Mr Bannerman.
“He really didn’t think he should have been taken to the police station in the first place,” he added.
Sheriff John Halley previously deferred sentenced for four months, until June 13, and sentence was further deferred until June 27 for him to deal with the accused.
Kelso woman admits fraud
A financial agent who fraudulently obtained more than £3,900, and embezzled a further £697, has had sentence deferred until July 18 for reports.
Lorna Waddell, 39, of Orchard Park, Kelso, was working as an agent for Provident Financial Management Services Ltd when she obtained £3,936.82 by fraud between February 1, 2012 and February 20, 2013.
She also admitted embezzling £697.75 from the company between November 1, 2012 and March 12, 2013.
Calling for reports, Sheriff Derrick McIntyre told her: “You were working as an agent for this company and this was a breach of trust.”
Deferred for reports
A Kelso man who ran his finger across a woman’s body in a local pub, and assaulted another woman, has had sentence deferred until July 18 for reports.
George Lees was released on bail not to enter the Black Swan at Horsemarket, or to contact the woman he assaulted.
The 57-year-old of Pinnaclehill Park, Kelso, admitted committing both offences at the Black Swan on March 15.
Dangerous dog allegation
A woman who denies having a Labrador which was dangerously out of control and seized a terrier in its mouth, will stand trial on October 30.
Maureen Lewis, 46, of Roxburghe Drive, Hawick, denies being in charge of a golden Labrador at Alemoor Court, Hawick, on November 22 last year, which was dangerously out of control and seized a Patterdale terrier dog in its mouth.
An intermediate diet was set for October 3.
Shoplifter jailed
A persistent shoplifter has been jailed for 240 days.
Kevin Millar of Buccleuch Street, Innerleithen, appeared from custody at Selkirk Sheriff Court on Monday and admitted a series of thefts from local shops.
The 33-year-old stole a computer game from Tesco’s Galashiels store on November 5 last year, when he was also found with a jacket lined with foil for the purpose of committing theft.
On April 28, Millar admitted stealing an energy drink, pasta, a tin of meat and a bottle of wine from the Premier shop in Scott Street, Galashiels, and stealing a bottle of wine from the Co-op in the town’s Gala Park.
Both offences were committed while on bail.
On January 13, Millar failed to appear at Selkirk Sheriff Court, having been granted bail.
He also failed to attend at Peebles Police Station while on bail between May 22 and June 11, and on June 10 he stole food, and shaving items from Keystore in Eastgate, Peebles.
Hearing Millar had a chaotic drug-fuelled lifestyle, Sheriff Peter Paterson told him there was no alternative to a custodial sentence.
In contempt of court
A drunken woman, found in contempt of court after appearing in the dock when four-and-a-half times the alcohol limit, has been jailed for 30 days.
Louise Boughen was remanded in custody over the weekend when she appeared before Sheriff Derrick McIntyre at Jedburgh Sheriff Court on Friday, after she provided a breath/alcohol reading of 156mcgs – the legal limit being 35 – in the court cells.
The Sheriff, who officially retired on Friday, returned to Selkirk Sheriff Court on Monday to deal with the case and jailed the 34-year-old of Roxburghe Drive, Hawick, for contempt of court.
Solicitor Ross Dow, defending, explained that his client had a “chronic alcohol problem” and wished to apologise to the court.
“She accepts she had a considerable amount to drink before attending court, and apologises for being intoxicated,” said Mr Dow.
Boughen appeared in the dock with two black eyes.
The 30-day jail term was back-dated to June 13.
Trial by jury
A 31-year-old who denies brandishing a knife in Galashiels, will stand trial by jury on July 7.
Andrew Gillies, c/o St Martins Court, Haddington, appeared on indictment and denied having a knife in the common stair at Beech Avenue, Galashiels, on December 13.
He also denies brandishing a knife at two people and kicking a bucket.
Court date set
A Hawick woman who denies having cannabis with intent to supply, will stand trial by jury on July 7.
Clare Parker, 40, of Wilson Drive, Hawick, denies an alleged offence at her home on August 10 last year.