Thursday court round-up — Crashes, cyclist and cannabis

The Courier

15-05-2025

A teenage driver who fractured his hip and had to be cut out of his car following a crash has been disqualified for four months.
appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court to admit a reduced charge of careless driving, having initially been charged with driving dangerously.
On July 20 last year, he turned right off the A935 between Montrose and Brechin at the Pugeston Junction and collided with an oncoming Nissan Qashqai, spinning several times and scuffing a third car waiting at the junction.
The oncoming Qashqai spun 180 degrees and came to rest on the road.
19-year-old Pittendreich had to be cut out of his car, which was written off.
He admitted failing to keep proper observations, turning into the face of oncoming traffic and colliding with the vehicles.
His solicitor Nick Markowski said: 'The junction at Pugeston is notorious – it's caught out a lot of drivers over the years – experienced drivers, as well as Mr Pittendreich.
'He had a fractured hip as a result of that. He was off the road for a couple of months.
'It's been a misjudgement. It was a loss of about £4,000 to £5,000 to him. It's been quite a lesson to him.'
Pittendreich, of Glenskinno near Montrose, was banned and fined £320 altogether by Sheriff Mark Thorley, who said: 'This could have had terrible consequences, I'm sure you're aware of that.'
A pet owner whose bulldog was found malnourished, infected and shut away in a squalid bedroom has been banned from keeping animals.
The dog called Hugo had to be put to sleep after it was discovered severely underweight with his ribs visible.
appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court and admitted causing his dog unnecessary suffering.
The 27-year-old, from Glenrothes, was spared jail but banned from keeping pets for five years.
A cyclist suffered a serious injury after being struck by a careless driver in Dundee.
denied causing the man to suffer serious injury through careless driving on August 15 2024 on Lochee Road and Rankine Street, Dundee.
The 69-year-old Dogra, who was driving a Mercedes-Benz, failed to give way and entered a road when it was unsafe to do so and colliding with the cyclist.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard how the man suffered an injury to his collar bone.
Dogra, of Bank Avenue, was found guilty by Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith who ordered him to pay £500 in compensation and a £200 fine.
He was also disqualified from driving for 12 months.
A Fife nightclub worker was glassed, chased and headbutted in a sickening Halloween attack by a group of four people.
, 50, , 24, , 20, and , 18, appeared together at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court and admitted assaulting the employee at the town's Society venue on October 31.
The charge states the group repeatedly pushed him, threw a drink over him and threw a glass at him, striking him on the head with it.
They repeatedly slapped him on the head, pinned him against a wall and headbutted him.
The accused then repeatedly punched him on the head and body, pursued him into a private staff area and forced open a private door.
They climbed over a counter in the bar area to gain access to further assault him.
Next, they repeatedly kicked and punched him when he was on the ground, repeatedly stamped on his body and threw a plant at him, all to his injury.
Three of the attackers were sentenced to unpaid work.
A sheriff slapped a driver with a £940 fine after he was found to be more than four times the legal limit for cannabis.
was caught by police on the A92 at Dundee's East Dock Street, near Market Street, on August 15 last year.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard how officers received a tip-off the 27-year-old grounds worker was under the influence of the Class B drug.
He was stopped just before 5pm and Keith, of Seton Terrace in Kennoway, admitted he had taken cannabis the night before.
Keith pled guilty on the day he was due to stand trial that he drove with excess psychoactive constituent of cannabis (9.8mics/ 2).
Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith, already unimpressed he was late to appear in the dock, asked solicitor Leigh Martin: 'When was his last joint? This is at five to five in the evening.'
Ms Martin said it was Keith's position he last smoked cannabis at 11.30pm the night before.
After disqualifying Keith from driving for 14 months and issuing the fine, the sheriff said: 'That should reinforce the error of his ways.'