ASBO man avoids jail after ignoring ban on drinking in public
A man who is banned from being drunk in public spaces throughout Aberdeenshire has narrowly avoided jail – after he was caught 'heavily intoxicated' in Inverurie.
Christopher Ettles, 39, was placed under the sweeping Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) four years ago at Banff Sheriff Court.
Appearing at Aberdeen Sheriff Court last week, Ettles admitted one breach of that order, after police found him drunk as they aided a taxi driver, who was having difficulty getting him to pay a fare. Refused to leave the taxi
The court was told Ettles was also refusing to leave the cab, at around 2.45am on February 2 this year.
Fiscal depute Lydia Williams said Ettles was 'heavily intoxicated' and was 'making no sense'.
When police arrived at the taxi, which was on Inverurie's Market Street, they carried out check which showed up Ettles' ASBO.
Ettles also admitted to acting in a threatening and abusive manner to staff in the Co-op shop in Alford on April 27, 2025. Aggressive behaviour
Ms Williams told the court Ettles had gone there at 8.30pm and had become 'hostile' to staff who had phoned the police.
When police officers arrived at the shop, Ettles made threats to the staff saying he would 'slash them' and 'cut them to pieces' and 'kill them', the court heard.
'He was shouting at the officers,' Ms Williams went on. 'And was then cautioned and arrested and taken to Kittybrewster Custody Suite.'
Ettles' defence solicitor Chris Maitland said his client 'very much regrets' his actions and cited his background report, which reads: 'It is still possible to turn his life around.' Attending AA classes
He said Ettles had recently been enjoying a 'spell of sobriety' and was attending Alcoholic Anonymous classes online.
'He is trying,' Mr Maitland said. 'But knows he is still struggling.'
Mr Maitland asked for a deferred sentence to 'see how he gets on' with an ongoing Community Payback Order of unpaid hours, adding: 'And to see if he can get a handle on things.'
Last year in December, Ettles was given community service for being drunk in public and in possession of a knife. Warning that jail is looming
Sheriff Lesley Johnston spoke to Ettles and said: 'I have told you repeatedly that you need to sort out this alcohol addiction.
'You are in a cycle, getting so far, then falling back into alcohol misuse, then back to court.
'Given your record, I would have been minded to impose a custodial sentence without the need for another report.
'However, I am going to give you another chance to turn this around.
'You must take steps, because you are staring down the barrel of a lengthy custodial sentence if you do not.' 'Please try harder'
She placed Ettles under a further Community Payback Order of 60 hours of unpaid work for threatening the shop staff.
Ettles, of Daviot, was admonished for breaching his ASBO.
Sheriff Johnston urged Ettles to 'please try harder' as he left the dock.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
5 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Vigilante brothers abducted boys, 11 and 12, to ‘give them a fright' after parents' home vandalised
The pair told the 'terrified' youngsters they were 'going to batter them' TERRIFYING ORDEAL Vigilante brothers abducted boys, 11 and 12, to 'give them a fright' after parents' home vandalised A PAIR of vigilante brothers abducted two schoolboys in retribution for their parents' livingroom window being smashed by vandals. John, 53, and Richard Saunders, 50, grabbed the boys, aged 12 and 13, inside a Co-Op shop, and took them for a "terrifying" drive in their car. Advertisement 3 Richard Saunders and his brother John grabbed the boys after their parents' window was smashed 3 John Saunders said he and his brother acted after weeks of youngsters "causing havoc" 3 Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard the Saunders brothers took the law into their own hands Credit: Alamy Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard the Saunders brothers took the two boys' mobile phones off them to prevent them from calling for help whilst detaining them inside their car. After being bundled into the back of the vehicle and driven off the Saunders brothers told the "terrified" youngsters they were 'going to batter them'. The court was told the pair had reacted after weeks of young people "causing havoc" in the area where their parents lived. John, of Kenilworth Terrace and Richard, of Melrose Gardens, both Lochore, admitted abducting and assaulting the two boys on September 30. Advertisement They seized and pulled them by the body, removed them from a shop, struck one of them on the head and abducted both of them by forcing them into a vehicle and driving them away. The brothers drove around during the frightening ordeal, telling the children they were "giving them a fright", before dropping them off. At 9.45pm the mum of one of the boys heard a car pull up outside. The court heard John Saunders was pulling her boy by the jumper and told the mum what had happened. Advertisement The prosecutor told the court Saunders said that his mum's window had been smashed and that it had "been going on for months". Asked if he had anything to say to the court, John Saunders, who was representing himself, said, 'The window wasn't cracked, it was shattered and smashed. Rachael Watts, who breaks her thirty-year silence to share her story for the first time on camera revealing how she survived a brutal abduction and assault 'I got a call from my parents to say their window had been smashed and as I drove to their house, I saw them (the boys) walking from there towards the Co-op. 'When I went into the house my mum was so upset and I didn't know what to do. Advertisement 'I went to look for them and they were in the shop like nothing had happened.' Saunders said the boys had told them that someone from Cardenden had also been there at the time and so they had gone looking for him at bus stops. Saunders told the court, 'I realised what I was doing was wrong' and he then took the boys home. Solicitor David McLaughlin, representing Richard Saunders, said his client was a hard-working family man with two grown-up children and had never been involved in a court case before. Advertisement He went on, 'The background is that youngsters within the area were effectively causing havoc and had been picking on the brothers' mother and father for a number of weeks. 'On this occasion the window was shattered and it was the straw that broke the camel's back. 'He lost his temper and it was a spur of the moment thing. He and his brother made poor decisions. 'He acknowledges he stepped out of line and appears to show genuine remorse. As he put it, 'two wrongs don't make a right'.' Advertisement Sheriff Steven Borthwick said he acknowledged that the brothers' actions were out of character. He told them, 'Both of you were very concerned for the well-being of your parents, were angry and wanted to do something about it. 'However, it is completely unacceptable to do what you did. That's the sort of offence that leads to the serious consideration of the imposition of a custodial sentence. 'It's simply not acceptable for civilians to take the law into their hands, especially when children are involved.' Advertisement He sentenced both brothers to a community payback order with 150 hours of unpaid work.
Daily Mirror
11 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Gloating email from M&S hackers to CEO confirms motives behind cyber attack
A email has come to light sent to the boss of Marks & Spencer from a now notorious gang of online hackers called DragonForce, who are also believed to be behind an attack on the Co-op A gloating email from a gang of cyber hackers to Marks & Spencer has emerged. The message - to M&S boss Stuart Machin - confirms for the first time that retailer had been targeted by the ransomware group. In it, they wrote: 'We have marched the ways from China all the way to the UK and have mercilessly raped your company and encrypted all the servers." It then says "The dragon wants to speak" before giving a link to the darknet - - a hidden part of the internet. The email, seen by the BBC, was sent on April 23 from the hacker group called DragonForce. The gang apparently used the account of an employee from the Indian IT giant Tata Consultancy Services, which has provided IT services to M&S for over a decade. M&S has been left reeling by the cyber attack, which has seen its online clothing, homewares and beauty sales for more than six weeks. The retailer has already estimated it could wipe £300million off its annual profits. Online has become an increasingly important to M&S - as for other retailers - and had more than 10 million 'active' customers and over £1.3billion a year of sales. Join Money Saving Club's specialist topics According to the BBC, the email is in broken English and includes a racist term. It was sent to Mr Machin and seven other executives. As well as bragging about infecting M&S's IT systems with ransomware, they also claim to have stolen the private data of millions of customers. A link in the email connects to a portal on the so-called darknet for DragonForce, the ransomware used in the attack. The hackers wrote: 'let's get the party started. Message us, we will make this fast and easy for us.' The message also appears to suggest the crooks may have details about M&S's cyber insurance policy, saying 'we know we can both help each other handsomely : ))'. M&S has said insurance should reduce the overall £300million hit. M&S has refused to say if the company has paid a ransom to the hackers. M&S is among a wave of companies struck by ransomware - a form of malicious software designed to burrow into companies' systems, steal commercially sensitive information, which is then locked, with crooks demanding their victims pay money before handing them the key. The Co-op and Harrods have also been hit recently. The gang has previously claimed the Co-op narrowly avoided being locked out of its own computer systems. On May 21, M&S said it hoped to resume online sales 'within weeks'. It also warned its operations could be out of action until as late as July, though it expected to begin resuming orders sooner than that. The gang known as DragonForce has been implicated in the first two of those, but speculation is rife about who -or what -it is. While it seems to have first emerged up to two years, experts say they use operate in a similar way to others that specialise in creating ransomware Another gang known as Scattered Spider -with members said to be aged as young as 16 -is said to have used DragonForce's ransomware in the M&S attack. DragonForce's rumoured link to Russia has been fuelled by the fact that a number of other ransomware attacks have been launched from the country in the past. Other reports have linked DragonForce to a pro-Palestinian group located in Malaysia. There has also been speculation about the group's motives, and that they could be political in some way.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Drivers speed more in 20mph zones than any other limits - and councils want to up restrictions
Drivers speed in 20mph zones more than any other limits, a massive survey of motorists has found. It comes as councils across the country continue to push for blanket 20mph restrictions across their towns and cities. The poll of more than 10,500 drivers uncovered that 44 per cent admit to breaching 20mph limits, whereas just a fifth speed in 50mph areas. It comes as Labour-ran Birmingham, which already has 20mph limits for a third of its city streets, is exploring extending the restriction to more roads, while Glasgow has announced it will introduce 20mph limits on all major street while the Scottish Government asses whether to make it a nationwide fixture. While the theory for reducing residential limits from 30mph is that it will bolster safety, the introduction of blanket 20mph zones has proven extremely unpopular in the past. Wales imposed its country-wide 20mph restriction in 2023 at the cost of £34million. However, it reversed the decision less than a year later, with some roads reverted back to 30mph following a public backlash. Campaign group '20's Plenty for Us' recently estimated that one in three Britons (around 28 million) live in local authorities with 20mph limits. Drivers speed in 20mph zones more than any other limits, a massive survey of motorists has found - as councils across the country continue to push for blanket 20mph restrictions across their towns and cities The AA's study highlights that drivers are more likely to speed in residential areas than anywhere else. Some 38 per cent of those polled said they knowingly break 30mph limits, which the motoring group said is a major concern for the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. However, when driving out of town, motorists are seemingly are more conscious of adhering to restrictions. In 40mph zones, just 24 per cent say they speed. In 50mph limits, only 21 per cent go over the restriction. And on stretches of road governed by 60mph limits, 22 per cent admit they drive faster. But on motorways, the nation's fastest-moving roads, attitude towards the speed limit is far more relaxed. More than a third (35 per cent) say they speed on 70mph stretches, which comes with greater risk of fines and penalty points given the widespread adoption of 'smart' motorways, which all have variable speed limits that can change at the drop of a hat. Motorists were also asked how much over each the speed limit they deemed is 'acceptable and safe'. In 20, 30 and 40mph zones, most drivers believed up to 4mph over was acceptable. For 50 and 60mph limits, the 'safe' margin was 5mph over, while on 70mph routes this allowance rises to 6mph. When asked why they exceeded speed limits, the most common response was 'I wasn't aware of the speed I was doing,' which was cited by more than two fifths (44 per cent). 'This was particularly common in 20mph and 30mph zones, where drivers have not adjusted to lower limits or failed to notice signage.,' the AA said. In rebuttal, motorists often argue that adhering to a 20mph restrictions in a modern car can be difficult, with just minor levels of acceleration typically resulting in exceeding the limit due to already travelling a relatively pedestrian speeds. Other excuses given by the panel of drivers included a belief that the speed limit in place is too low (33 per cent), and the road being quiet (30 per cent). Running late (4 per cent), peer pressure, and following the speed of the vehicle in front (3 per cent) were also reasons provided. There are notable differences in attitudes towards speed limits across age and gender profiles too. Somewhat unsurprisingly, men are significantly more likely to admit to speeding than women (47 per cent versus 38 per cent respectively), and it's the youngest motorists on the road (18 to 34 year olds) who are statistically most likely to speed on residential streets. Over 65s are least likely to go over the limit in any zone, the report found. More education and increased policing in 20mph zones Road casualty statistics show that speeding is the biggest factor in traffic deaths and injuries. In 2023, more than half (56 per cent) of fatal collisions were linked to one of three speed-related factors: exceeding the speed limit; driving too fast for conditions; and driving aggressively, dangerously or recklessly. It means 809 of the 1,441 fatal collisions on Britain's roads two years ago were caused due to motorists travelling too fast. The AA concluded from its findings that more enforcement is required on roads, especially where the speed limit is lower. It called for 1,000 more traffic officers to help improve safety and catch offenders in the act. However, it also said improvements could be made to driver education, explaining in greater detail to new motorists and those sitting speed awareness courses the rationale behind lower limits, which some often misunderstand or see as excessive. Edmund King, AA president, said: 'We can't afford to be complacent as speed kills. Every mile per hour over the limit matters and these figures are a wake-up call. Speed limits aren't optional – they're lifesavers. 'Whether it's a school run or on a quiet residential street, the difference between 20 and 30mph can be the difference between life and death. 'While many drivers don't speed maliciously, these findings show many are distracted, unaware of their surroundings, or simply not paying attention. 'That's why we need better driver attention, improved signage, clearer road markings, and smarter enforcement.' List of 20mph highway authorities in the UK Here is a list from 20's Plenty For Us of what it described as '20mph highway authorities' across the UK - Local Authorities which accept 20mph as the right speed limit where people live, work or play. County councils Cambridgeshire Lancashire Oxfordshire Unitary authorities Bath and North East Somerset Brighton and Hove Bristol, City of Cheshire West and Chester Cornwall Darlington East Riding of Yorkshire Herefordshire, County of Kingston upon Hull, City of Leicester Middlesbrough Luton Nottingham Portsmouth Southampton Southend-on-Sea Warrington York Metropolitan districts Birmingham Bolton Bradford Bury Calderdale Coventry Doncaster Leeds Liverpool Manchester Newcastle-upon-Tyne Rochdale Sefton Sheffield South Tyneside St Helens Stockport Wigan Wirral London boroughs Camden City of London Croydon Ealing Hackney Hammersmith & Fulham Haringey Hounslow Islington Kensington & Chelsea Kingston Lambeth Lewisham Mitcham Newham Richmond Southwark Tower Hamlets Waltham Forest Wandsworth Westminster Scottish authorities Clackmannanshire Edinburgh Fife Glasgow Highland Scottish Borders West Dunbartonshire Countries Wales
