A disgruntled worker broke into his employer’s premises and stole £5,000 worth of tools and mechanical equipment in a dispute over unpaid wages.
Gary Clark, 37, of Burn Wynd, Jedburgh, admitted committing that offence at outbuildings owned by Joseph Daley at Newlands Farm, Denholm, between Wednesday, September 14, and Tuesday, September 20.
Prosecuting at Jedburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, Graham Fraser said: “He was working at this particular location and had fallen out with the owner of the premises.
“He felt there was money due to him and took the opportunity to remove the tools to the value of £5,000.
“He implied a different person was involved, but further inquiries revealed it was him, and there was a full recovery.”
Defence lawyer Ross Dow explained: “He was working for the man mentioned in the complaint. He and another man came up with this scheme as they had not been paid and still have not.
“They reckoned they were due £1,300 each in wages which had not been paid.
“They came up with the plan to force the man to pay the wages, but it lacked foresight as it was a criminal act.”
Sheriff Peter Paterson told Clark that such an offence would normally merit a custodial sentence, but he took into account the circumstances behind the offence and the fact that there was full recovery of the stolen items.
Instead, he deferred sentence for good behaviour until Tuesday, November 29, to monitor the progress of Clark’s sentence of 150 hours’ unpaid work for another offence.
ROYAL MAIL DRIVER FINED
A Royal Mail driver has been fined £300 for knocking down an elderly woman at the entrance to a Hawick supermarket car park.
Glyn Martin, 52, was suspended from driving duties by his employer following the incident near Morrisons, in Mart Street, after being charged with careless driving.
He pleaded guilty to that charge.
Prosecutor Graham Fraser told Jedburgh Sheriff Court on Monday how the mail van was driven along a filter lane on the inside past a queue of vehicles and struck the woman after she had just gone over a pedestrian crossing.
He said: “A number of people saw her umbrella flying through the air.”
Martin, of Longbaulk Road, Hawick, provided a negative breath test afterwards.
The woman sustained grazing to her head and elbow, bruising to her face, a cut on her lower left leg and a gouge to her ankle.
Mr Fraser added: “Because of her age and skin condition, it was not possible to stitch the wounds.”
She was taken to Borders General Hospital at Melrose and later transferred to Hawick Community Hospital for lengthy treatment to her injuries, the court heard.
As well as being fined, Martin had five penalty points put on his licence.
The court heard that Royal Mail staff face disciplinary procedures, with the potential of dismissal, if they get six penalty points on their licences.
CHANGE OF PLEA TO NOT GUILTY
A Hawick woman has withdrawn her guilty plea to a charge of wasting police time.
Kylie Gray, 27, had previously admitted falsely claiming her bag had been stolen and rendering others liable to suspicion and accusation of theft at her home in McLaren Court on Thursday, May 12.
But after taking legal advice, she was allowed to change her plea to not guilty at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.
A trial date has now been fixed for Tuesday, January 10, with an intermediate hearing on Monday, December 12.
MAN FACING SIX DRUGS CHARGES
Fresh trial dates have been fixed in the case of a Hawick man accused of six drugs offences.
Mark Turnbull, 29, is charged with producing cannabis at his Cheviot Road home in September last year.
He also denies being concerned in the supply of cannabis and possession of diazepam, nitrazepam, tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabinol.
The trial will now take place at Jedburgh Sheriff Court on Tuesday, January 10, with an intermediate hearing on Monday, December 12.
22-YEAR-OLD SET TO GO ON TRIAL
Steven Gorman, 22, of Eildon Road, Hawick, will face trial at Jedburgh Sheriff Court on charges of threatening or abusive behaviour, possession of a knife and obstructing police in Hawick on October 3 last year.
The case will call on Thursday, November 3.
MAN ADMITS HAVING HEROIN
An Eyemouth man found in possession of heroin admitted spending between £40 and £60 a day on the class-A drug.
Dougal Windram, 41, of Chapel Street, pleaded guilty to committing the offence at Bennison Square, Eyemouth, on Thursday, April 21.
Jedburgh Sheriff Court was told seven wraps of brown powder were found, together valued at £150.
Sentence was deferred until Monday, October 31, for a personal appearance.
TEENAGER DENIES OFFENCE
Teenager Kaitlyn Shell, of Maxmill Park, Kelso, will stand trial at Jedburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday, December 15, on a charge of behaving in a threatening manner, and shouting and swearing.
The 19-year-old denies the offence, said to have happened in Callercove Crescent, Eyemouth, on Monday, June 13.
WOMAN BANNED FOR 18 MONTHS
An Earlston woman refused to give samples of breath when suspected of drink-driving and has now been banned from the road for 18 months.
Julie Taylor, 49, pleaded guilty to failing to co-operate with a preliminary breath test at her Haughhead home on saturday, May 28.
She admitted failing to provide two samples of breath at Galashiels police station too.
Taylor was also given a community payback order involving supervision for the next 15 months.
FURY AT MOBILE MESSAGES
A jealous window cleaner involved in two bust-ups with a former partner after reading the contents of her mobile phone messages was fined £200.
John Szkudro even got the details of the phone’s lock codes from their children so he could keep tabs on what she was up to – despite them having split up two months earlier.
The 40-year-old pleaded guilty to a charge of threatening or abusive behaviour at a house in Croft Road, Kelso, on Thursday, January 7, by breaking the phone by throwing it against a wall and pushing his former partner onto a sofa.
Sheriff Peter Paterson imposed the fine after being told that Szkudro, of Bongate, Jedburgh, had been of good behaviour for the past six months.
PARTNER DENIES VIOLENT STRUGGLE
A man appeared from custody to deny struggling violently with his partner.
David Luke, 36, is alleged to have committed that offence at their home in Douglas Place, Galashiels, on Saturday.
A trial date was fixed for Thursday, December 22, with an intermediate hearing on Monday, November 21.
MAN ACCUSED OF STALKING
An Eyemouth man is facing a stalking charge.
John Rutherford, 43, of Bennison Square, denies sending a woman messages on social media and repeatedly turning up in the road where she lives and loitering there.
A trial date was set for Jedburgh Sheriff Court on January 12, with an intermediate hearing on December 12.
NO PLEA MADE TO SWORD CLAIM
A 54-year-old appeared in private at Jedburgh Sheriff Court on Monday accused of assaulting a man to his injury and robbing him in Hawick at the weekend.
Edward Tamms, of Weensland Road, Hawick, is also accused of possession of a sword.
He made no plea or declaration, and the case was continued for further examination.
Tamms was remanded in custody.
THREE FACING THREAT CHARGES
Three men have been accused of threatening or abusive behaviour in their home street of Orchard Park in Kelso on Tuesday, August 16.
Kevin Henderson, 35, Steven Hunter, 44, and Stuart McLarty, 46, will stand trial on January 10 at Jedburgh Sheriff Court, with an intermediate hearing on December 12.
SENTENCE DEFERRED
Sentence has been deferred on Mark McCarry, 21, for four months after he admitted being in possession of £75 worth of heroin at his home in Mansfield Crescent, Hawick, on Friday, June 3. He was told that if he is of good behaviour it is likely he will be ordered to carry out unpaid work.
WOMAN BAILED TO MUM’S HOME
Shannon Reid denies charges of threatening or abusive behaviour and damaging property at Gasworks Cottages, Eshiels, on Sunday.
The 21-year-old appeared from custody.
A trial date was set for December 22 with an intermediate hearing on November 11.
She was bailed to her mother’s home in Connor Street, Peebles.
DENIES POLICE STRUGGLE
A Kelso man has been accused of three counts of kicking and damaging vehicles in a street in the town.
Rutter Neeme, 31, of Sydenham Court, also pleaded not guilty to a charge of struggling violently with two police constables on Saturday, June 11.
A trial date has been set for Tuesday, November 15.
INTERMEDIATE HEARING
Jay Watson, 19, of West Myrescroft, Ancrum, will stand trial on a charge of stalking two people over a period of almost five months at various locations in the Borders.
He is also accused of driving dangerously on the A68.
A trial was fixed for a date in December at Jedburgh Sheriff Court, with an intermediate hearing on Monday, November 14.
SOCIAL MEDIA THREATS TO PAIR
A 24-year-old has admitted threatening a man and woman with violence via social media messages.
Aaron Atkinson, 24, of Allars Bank, Hawick, pleaded guilty to placing the pair in a state of fear and alarm.
The offence happened at Bourtree Place in Hawick on Sunday, July 24.
Sentence was deferred until Monday, October 31, for a personal appearance.
ACCUSATION OF AGGRESSION
Edward Berry, 63, of Boonraw Road, Hawick, will stand trial at Jedburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday, January 12, on a charge of acting in an aggressive manner towards his wife at her house in Home Place, Coldstream, on Wednesday, September 21.