Latest news with #AberdeenSheriffCourt
Press and Journal
26-05-2025
- Press and Journal
Organised crime lawyer jailed after £87,000 drug bust at Peterculter home
A former criminal lawyer who was caught dealing nearly £87,000 worth of ketamine from her Peterculter country house has been jailed for 18 months. Advocate Amanda Lothian, 65, was convicted of being concerned in the supply of the controlled class B drug from Lower Kennerty Mill in Peterculter during the Covid-19 pandemic. A jury of six women and nine men took less than an hour to find Lothian guilty by a unanimous verdict following her trial in April. During her sentencing hearing today, Lothian represented herself and told Sheriff William Summers that she accepts that she was involved in drug supply – but denied the drugs were hers. Aberdeen Sheriff Court was previously told police raided Lothian's former home on August 28 2020 following a period of surveillance. A search of the house and a black Volvo registered to Lothian – a former member of the Faculty of Advocates who specialised in serious organised crime – uncovered two vacuum-packed bags of ketamine, worth £71,620. A further quantity of the drug was seized from a man named James Hanlon, who claimed he collected drugs from Lothian at the property off Burnside Road. He was arrested by police and found in possession of more than £15,000 worth of ketamine. Cash totalling nearly £4,000 was also found in various locations around the £600,000 former mill house. Jurors heard evidence during the four-day trial that police raided the Peterculter property on the afternoon of August 28 2020 where they found nearly a kilo of ketamine in Lothian's car. A sniffer dog named Buster then detected more ketamine within a wooden TV unit in the living room. During the defence evidence, Lothian, who represented herself, claimed that she had no knowledge of any drugs being inside her property and claimed she had been a victim of cuckooing at the hands of Hanlon. She stated that she had 'absolutely no idea what was going on inside that house'. Quizzed by Ms Thompson about why her DNA was found on the bag containing the drugs, Lothian stated that she had moved them, believing that they were a muscle-building supplement. Ms Thompson put it to her that Lothian must have 'incredibly poor luck' for her DNA to be on illegal drugs she claims she knew nothing about. The fiscal depute then asked Lothian whether she had started selling drugs to make a little extra cash to pay the rent on the huge Peterculter property. 'No,' she replied, adding: 'I find the suggestion laughable. It's absurd. I'm not the distributor.' Addressing the court today, the former advocate said that she accepted the verdict of the jury. 'I'm not maintaining my innocence in that I could or should've known what was going on – but that's not incompatible in maintaining that the drugs didn't belong to me,' Lothian said. 'I'm accepting that I had some part in the chain of supply, but I'm not accepting that the drugs are mine.' Lothian went on to tell the court that she had a serious degenerative lung condition and was taking part in an experimental drug trial at St Bart's Hospital in London, which involves regular injections. She described it as 'critical' to her future good health. However, sentencing Lothian, Sheriff William Summers told her that she had been found unanimously guilty by a jury of being concerned in the supply of drugs. He said that he took into account her health, her age and the fact that she was convicted of supply on a single day. 'With all that notwithstanding, this is a very serious charge,' he continued. 'The harm to those who abuse drugs is well documented and it's clear that a significant number of drugs were involved,' Sheriff Summers said, adding that he 'must respect the finding of the jury' in this case. 'In my opinion, the only appropriate disposal in your case is the imposition of a custodial sentence,' he said. Sheriff Summers sentenced Lothian to 18 months in prison.
Press and Journal
13-05-2025
- Press and Journal
Buckie marine biologist jailed for child abuse video downloads
A marine biologist who was sacked after being convicted of stockpiling indecent child abuse videos has been jailed. Digital forensic examination of Christopher McWhirter's laptop uncovered around 180 videos in folders titled 'filth' and 'my dirty life'. The computer stored hours of footage featuring children as young as four, along with extreme pornography, all downloaded between June 2021 and October 2022. McWhirter, 32, originally from Buckie, had vehemently denied any responsibility, branding the allegations 'sick' and 'vile'. But, a jury took less than an hour and a half to unanimously find him guilty of possessing the sick content that included extreme pornography involving adult females and dogs. The jury also found McWhirter guilty by a majority verdict of downloading the videos. During the trial, McWhirter offered a number of explanations of how the illegal material came to be on his laptop. He stated he had made enemies on the social media site Reddit and through online gaming. McWhirter claimed someone from one of those communities had hacked into his computer and downloaded the videos. The former marine biologist also said they may have inadvertently been saved onto the device when he downloaded films and audiobooks while working on boats in the North Sea. Fiscal depute Kirsty Martin told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that the police had discovered nearly five hours' worth of video footage involving boys and girls aged between four and 15 years old on McWhirter's laptop. The nature of the content is mostly too disturbing to be reported. Jurors were shown a police interview, in which it was put to McWhirter that he had downloaded the indecent content through the username 'Tophe', which was linked to an email address. However, McWhirter strenuously denied this, describing the practice as 'sick'. He appeared in the dock for sentencing yesterday. Defence solicitor Mike Monro told the court that McWhirter continued to deny the offence, which the lawyer conceded made his client's position 'very difficult'. Mr Monro said McWhirter had been dismissed from his position as a marine biologist as a result of The Press and Journal previously reporting the outcome of his client's trial. Now, McWhirter has a new job doing manual work. 'He has had to start anew. It's light years away from what he did before,' Mr Monro added. The solicitor described his client as a 'first offender' whom he would be 'astonished' to see in a courtroom again. Sentencing McWhirter, Sheriff Philip Mann told him that he had been convicted of 'serious charges' and of having a 'relatively large' amount of child images. 'You were also found in possession of extreme pornographic images involving women and animals,' he added. 'I can only impose a custodial sentence if I determine that no alternative sentence is appropriate,' the sheriff said, adding: 'I have to say that I have reached the conclusion that a custodial sentence is in fact the only appropriate sentence.' McWhirter, of Ashvale Place, Aberdeen, was jailed for 18 months and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.
Press and Journal
08-05-2025
- Press and Journal
Deeside dangerous driver jailed after causing drunken head-on crash
A drink-driver has been jailed for two years after causing a head-on smash in rural Deeside. Daniel Glazewski fled the scene of the crash, near Torphins, and was eventually found hiding in woodland by a police dog, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told. The crash, on the afternoon of June 23 2023, happened after other road users spotted Glazewski, 42, driving dangerously in his Audi A4 convertible. Fiscal depute David Ballock told the court one witness saw Glazewski at around 2.30pm as she was driving out of Torphins on the road approaching the junction with Woodside Road. He said: 'They observed the blue Audi pass through the junction, failing to slow in order to give way or stop for the junction. '[The witness] had to take evasive action in order to avoid colliding with the vehicle.' The other driver continued to follow Glazewski's car, which was 'driving erratically'. Mr Ballock added: 'The blue Audi was then observed being driven in the middle of both lanes and on the opposing side of the carriageway, for a distance of approximately two miles.' Meanwhile, the court was told, another female driver was travelling south on the Torphins to Tornasheen B993 road. 'Having negotiated a blind left-hand bend, she suddenly became aware of a blue Audi being driven towards her, on the opposing side of the carriageway,' Mr Ballock said. 'She took evasive action and attempted to swerve her vehicle out of the path of the blue Audi, however, both vehicles collided, coming to rest across both carriageways.' The car following behind Glazewski stopped to help at the scene. Glazewski, the court heard, got out of his car and tried to walk away. Mr Ballock explained that all the witnesses thought he had been drinking and the police were called after they confiscated his car keys. Glazewski then walked into a wooded area near to the smash and was lost to view. Police officers with a dog team later traced Glazewski, at around 4pm, hiding in the woods and he was said to be shoeless. The female driver from the other car involved in the collision, a silver Berlingo, was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and treated for a broken breastbone and bruising. The court heard she was unable to drive for four months. Glazewski, once traced by the police dog called Kane, was placed in handcuffs. Mr Ballock said: 'The officers noticed that he smelled strongly of alcohol, was unsteady on his feet and had glazed eyes. They formed the impression that the accused was under the influence of alcohol. 'A roadside breath test was then carried out, which gave a positive indication for the presence of alcohol.' He was also taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, and whilst waiting for treatment, he stated to officers: 'I f****d up' and 'I was drinking, and I was driving'. Officers later found CCTV footage from the Scotmid in Torphins, shortly before the crash. It showed Glazewski buying two bottles of white wine 'whilst clearly unsteady on his feet'. Glazewski pled guilty to causing injury by dangerous driving, drink-driving and failing to give a specimen of urine. His defence agent Neil McRobert urged the court not to jail his client, who had recently become a father for a second time. 'He is in full-time employment,' Mr McRobert said. 'And has no other cases outstanding. 'During June 2023, his alcohol consumption had increased. He acknowledges responsibility and has grave regrets.' However, Sheriff William Summers said Glazewski bore a high level of culpability, saying: 'You drove deliberately while under the influence, for long periods. 'You caused a head-on collision, that caused injury. It is fortunate the injuries were not more serious, or you would be facing a far more serious charge.' Talking to the dangerous driving charge, Sheriff Summers said: 'The charge is so serious, there is no alternative but to impose a custodial sentence.' He jailed Glazewski, formerly of Torphins, now of Nether Turin Farm Cottage, Forfar, for two years, and disqualified him from driving for five years, adding that he must sit an extended driving test to get his licence returned
Press and Journal
30-04-2025
- Press and Journal
Peterhead driver has no memory of crash that left other motorist on life support for weeks
A Peterhead driver who caused a serious head-on collision that saw another car roll over and burst into flames has no recollection of how it happened. Jacqueline Bruce, 61, was driving on the A920 Ellon to Pitmedden Road when her grey Land Rover veered into the oncoming lane, striking a silver Ford and forcing it off the road. The car – driven by another woman – turned over several times before its engine caught fire. The other driver suffered multiple serious injuries and was placed on life support for several weeks, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told. Fiscal depute Alan Townsend said that at around 1.35pm on November 13 2024, the driver of the silver Ford was on her way to visit her son, driving east on the A920 Ellen to Pitmedden Road, near Thornhill. Bruce was driving in the opposite direction with her husband in the passenger seat was seen by other witnesses moving into the opposing lane into the path of oncoming traffic. The woman driving the Ford tried to slow down to avoid a collision, but was unable to do so, resulting in a head-on crash. The Ford leave the road and rolled over several times before coming to rest in a field, where the engine caught fire. Bruce's Land Rover came to rest on a small embankment, and she and her husband managed to get out of their vehicle. However, the other driver suffered serious injuries, and the emergency services were called alongside an air ambulance. When Bruce was spoken by police, she stated that she didn't know how the accident had occurred but admitted she had been driving. She then provided negative tests for drugs and alcohol. The other driver was flown by helicopter to hospital, where her injuries were assessed and she was found to have suffered a lacerated spleen, collapsed lungs, pelvic and kidney hematoma and numerous cracked ribs. As a result, the woman had to spend several weeks on life support. In the dock, Bruce pleaded guilty to one charge of causing serious injury by driving without due care or attention. Defence solicitor Stuart Flowerdew said his client 'knows this is a truly horrific situation' but added that it was not caused by Bruce attempting to overtake other vehicles. 'She says she has no idea how this had taken place', the solicitor said, claiming Bruce had 'no recollection' of what happened. 'Mrs Bruce has been driving for 32 years without incident – the cause of this is unexplained,' Mr Flowerdew went on. 'This is being reported as a brief loss of consciousness and she had not slept well the night before. 'For reasons that are unknown, she veered across the road.' Mr Flowerdew added that Bruce had been examined by both a GP and a cardiologist, and no health issues were discovered that could explain the incident. Sheriff Mark Stewart told Bruce: 'This is a serious road traffic accident, and it is serious not only because of what happened, but it's serious in relation to what can happen by cars drifting across the road. 'It's a clear example of how dangerous roads can be when unexpected things happen. 'I'm told there are no diagnosed medical reasons for this and I accept that you weren't trying to drive in a manner that was trying to cause a road traffic accident, but I'm left not knowing what caused these two vehicles to collide. 'It seems to me that the only thing that can explain it is that there was some loss of control of the vehicle.' Describing it as a 'traumatic incident', Sheriff Stewart disqualified Bruce, of Oleander Road, Peterhead, from driving for 18 months and made her subject to a £1,040 fine.
Press and Journal
27-04-2025
- Press and Journal
Weekend court roll – A scissor stabber and a Mississippi killer
Our reporters have been sitting in courtrooms across the north and north-east this week and covered a wide variety of cases. A serial drink-driver has been banned from the road after he smashed into a Range Rover with a toddler inside before leaving the scene of the accident. Steven Small, from Torry, callously walked away from the wreckage – leaving behind a half-drunk bottle of vodka in the footwell. Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told the crash happened on September 15 2022 on Riverside Drive. Fiscal depute Brian Young told the court that at around 3.05pm a couple were within their parked Range Rover with their two-year-old granddaughter in the backseat. A prolific housebreaker has been jailed after stealing an Aberdeen widow's priceless collection of jewellery and precious family keepsakes. The 75-year-old pensioner said career criminal and lifelong drug addict Gordon Martin's 'despicable' crime has left her heartbroken and terrified. None of the jewellery or sentimental items – including her late husband's wedding ring and her children's baby bracelets – have been recovered. In a moving victim impact statement, the widow said: 'I can never get back my lifetime's treasures.' A teenager who spat on a bus driver and mocked a wheelchair user with one leg has avoided jail at Inverness Sheriff Court. McKenzie Cochrane assaulted the female Stagecoach employee after being challenged over his lack of a ticket for the bus in Inverness. On a separate occasion, he made fun of a wheelchair user with one leg outside Raigmore Hospital and became aggressive towards him. He also assaulted a worker at a city betting shop, throwing food at him and kicking him. A man who attacked his partner in bed had been spared jail after he admitted the domestic assault. Jordan Hooper straddled the woman and punched her, before pulling her out of bed by her leg and causing her to fall to the floor. A sheriff warned the 24-year-old – who has previous convictions for domestic abuse – that he was 'on the very cusp' of being sent to prison. Hooper appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to be sentenced, having previously pled guilty to a charge of domestic assault and breaching a bail condition to stay away from the woman. A vicious thug who punched a man in the street before repeatedly stamping on his head has been jailed for more than three years. Francis McPhee, 35, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, where he admitted viciously assaulting his victim in an unprovoked attack in broad daylight. The attack, which took place in Aberdeen city centre, was captured on CCTV and showed McPhee standing still outside the St Nicholas Centre before exploding into violence. McPhee – who has a long record of previous conviction for violence, including one conviction for culpable homicide – had only recently been released from prison prior to this incident. A woman attacked an off-duty policewoman on an Inverness street, leaving her unable to work for three days. Demi Maclennan dragged the officer to the ground and repeatedly struck her. At one point during the vicious assault, McLennan clawed inside the officer's mouth. When she was taken to the police station, she made offensive racial comments towards another officer. A man who brandished large kitchen knife in an Aberdeen branch of Spar has been jailed – with a sheriff telling him that his young age isn't a 'get-out-of-jail-free card'. Liam Farquharson, 20, told two people inside the Northfield Spar mini-market that he would kill them while holding the blade aloft and demanding they come outside. During a separate incident outside a block of flats in the same area, Farquharson was seen pointing a knife at another man before telling him he would 'put a hole in his chest'. His solicitor described Farquharson as being heavily under the influence of alcohol at the time. A relentless domestic abuser who was purposely trying to provoke a mental breakdown in his female victim has been jailed. Police arrested Tyler Whyte following a small gathering at a flat in Aberdeen when the friends of the young woman became concerned by the 22-year-old's erratic and violent behaviour. At one point during the evening, Whyte was heard to exclaim that his intent was to cause the woman 'to have a mental breakdown'. Whyte then grabbed, pushed and pulled the young woman's hair before placing a blanket tightly over her head. A remorseful killer who 'struggles' to come to terms with how he took his friend's life following an argument has been jailed for five years and four months. Dawid Majewicz, 43, struck pal Jacek Dembinski on the arm with a kitchen knife during a confrontation in Aberdeen last August. The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Majewicz claims that Mr Dembinski hit him on the head with a bottle in the moments leading up to the stabbing. Mr Dembinksi, 44, was later seen to collapse with blood pouring from him outside the block of flats in Aberdeen where Majcewicz lived. Every day our reporters are sitting in courtrooms around the area and now you can get their stories sent directly to you, five days a week. A teenage armed robber who targeted Aberdeen taxi drivers has been jailed for more than two years. Drug-fuelled Ellis Gardiner pressed a knife into the face of one driver, drawing blood, and robbed another of £50 after brandishing a screwdriver at him. Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told the 19-year-old even victimised his own mum, stealing £80 from her when he was in a drug-addled frenzy. Fiscal depute Emma Petersen told the court that at around 2.30am on August 4 last year, the taxi driver picked Gardiner up from Cruden Crescent, Aberdeen. A Peterhead man embarked on a campaign of threatening behaviour against his neighbours when they failed to wish him a good morning, a court has been told. David Mcmenemie, 70, inserted himself into a rift between two sets of warring neighbours and began targeting one because they had not greeted him in the days beforehand. It led to a CCTV cameras going up and Mcmenemie taking aim at Keith and Ross Barney-Whyte with threatening remarks, shouts, and swearing for more than a month between September 14 and October 31 last year. Appearing at Peterhead Sheriff Court on Monday, he was admonished for his actions by Sheriff David Mackie. A paedophile pensioner who sent vile messages to an online decoy posing as a 14-year-old girl has been placed on the sex offenders register. Duncan Moir believed he was talking to a teen called Molly on Facebook when he sent messages that explicitly detailed sexual acts. He asked her intimate questions about her anatomy and warned her not to tell anyone about their chats, saying: 'I would be in trouble because of your age baby.' Moir, 71, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit a single charge of attempting to communicate indecently with a child. An Aberdeen man has been locked up after being found guilty of raping one woman and sexually assaulting another. Jamie Forbes, 33, wept as he was put in handcuffs following the verdict at his High Court trial. All the offences – including assaults on two other women – took place between 2016 and 2023. Forbes, of Willowpark Crescent, denied the charges and had lodged a special defence of consent for one of his victims. An Aberdeen man is accused of driving at almost 200mph before a passenger in his car later died in a fatal crash. Josh Buchan faces an allegation of causing the death of Ben Taylor, 19, after losing control of his Audi RS3 on the B9077 South Deeside Road in Aberdeen on September 25 2022. Buchan is first charged with culpable and reckless conduct in the months before the incident. Prosecutors state the 25-year-old drove the Audi, which had been 'modified by means unknown' to travel in excess of 155mph. A notorious sugar daddy blackmailer has appeared in court and has shown an escalation in her offending from online scams to physical attacks. Tiffany Anderson, 27, admitted violently assaulting one woman before robbing her of her belongings in a secluded lane close to the city centre. Anderson also admitted a separate attack on a man in the north of Aberdeen using a pair of scissors, which left her victim injured. Anderson was also arrested over her lack of compliance with a community payback order put in place last year as an alternative to prison. Every day our reporters are sitting in courtrooms around the area and now you can get their stories sent directly to you, five days a week. A university lecturer was secretly treated 'like a dog' for 10 years before a Mintlaw man shot her dead, chilling newly released emails have claimed. Wayne Fraser, 49, cruelly blasted his wheelchair user wife Natalie Ryan-Fraser in the neck with her handgun on December 30 2021 and is currently serving 20 years behind bars in the USA for her killing. A Mississippi jury disagreed with the state prosecutor that Fraser was guilty of murder, instead finding him guilty of culpable negligence manslaughter. However, the Scots expat, who was also fined $10,000 in September 2023, has since asked senior judges to overturn his conviction, claiming 'prejudicial' legal errors and 'incompetent' evidence led to an 'unfair' trial. A Portlethen man has been banned from the roads for three years after admitting hitting speeds of 130mph on a motorbike. Andrew Dinan, 28, was spotted by traffic cops riding a silver Honda 1000cc motorcycle through Altens in Aberdeen on June 24 last year. Police were carrying out speed checks at the Loch of Loirston area and saw Dinan's bike travelling over the speed limit just before 7pm. Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told Dinan undertook and swerved around other road users, hitting speeds of 130mph. A convicted killer has been fined after he flew into a violent rage and threatened to murder an Aberdeen fairground worker who refused to let his undersized son on a ride. Shaun Stewart, also known as Paton, became incensed when a member of staff at Codona's in Aberdeen stopped the six-year-old from getting on a ride and told the worker he had done time for murder. The 39-year-old dad then took his rage onto social media, making chilling threats to give the worker a 'permanent smile'. Stewart served six years of a decade-long sentence in a young offenders' institution for culpable homicide over the death of Kemnay dad Dean Jamieson in 2006. A man who sexually assaulted a woman while she was on a night out with friends in Peterhead has avoided a prison sentence. Tomas Bartnykas, 40, attacked the woman in Viva's Bar and Nightclub in 2022 while she stood waiting to be served. At Peterhead Sheriff Court last month, it took a jury less than two hours to find him guilty of reaching his hand underneath her dress and penetrating her with his fingers. He was told this week that, as a direct alternative to spending time behind bars, he will now be made to carry out hundreds of hours of unpaid work within the community. An Inverness American football coach who had teenage boys pose for naked photos and videos under the guise of making a sex education video has been jailed for two years. Former head coach of the Highland Wildcats, Robert 'Robbie' Paulin was convicted of two charges of arranging or facilitating the involvement in pornography of a person aged under 18 by a jury at Inverness Sheriff Court in March. At the sentencing hearing today, Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald told Paulin: 'You took the opportunity to groom these young men – you spotted their individual vulnerabilities and made a plan. 'You manipulated and deceived them – you tricked them both.' A convicted Aberdeen sex offender has been placed under supervision after sexually assaulting a coffee shop worker in the city centre last year. Christopher Barron, 38, admitted following one of the baristas at the Costa coffee shop and then standing closely behind her, touching her on the buttocks. Barron carried out the assault on June 10 last year while on bail, which had been granted just weeks before at Aberdeen Sheriff Court. The court heard Barron had been lurking around the cafe after staff began their shifts at 7.30am. A Lhanbryde man who had videos of animal pornography on his mobile phone said he only had them because it was 'banter' in a WhatsApp group chat. Josh Clark's home was raided in July 2023 by police who seized an iPhone within his bedroom. On it were three videos of humans having sex with animals. At Elgin Sheriff Court on Thursday, when he appeared for sentencing, the court was told the 30-year-old's device automatically downloaded the content between 2018 and the date he was raided because he was part of a WhatsApp group that thought the videos were 'banter'. A Rosehearty man who once ram-raided a shop with a digger has been sentenced for beating up a neighbour in a row over a DVD. Duncan Elrick was jailed in 2019 after he drunkenly stole a digger and crashed it into Keith's Spar store in an attempt to steal money from the bank machine, and was in the dock again last month standing trial for another crime. The 42-year-old saw his case collapse, however, when he made the stunning admission that he had indeed gone outside to attack Michael Kennedy when he was outside their home making his partner upset. He had previously lodged a special defence of self-defence.
