A woman accused of killing a 36-year-old man in Dundee by causing him to fall out a second floor window has been ordered to stand trial.
Jennifer Souter is accused of being culpable for the death of Ryan Munro on January 10 this year.
Mr Munro died at Ninewells Hospital one week after falling from the property in the Morgan Street area of Dundee.
Souter, 38, charged with culpable homicide, allegedly assaulted Mr Munro by threatening, intimidating and detaining him against his will with a view to extorting money from him.
He allegedly suffered fear and alarm for his safety, causing him to fall from a second floor window which resulted in him suffering fatal injury.
Ramsay El-Nakla, the brother-in-law of First Minister Humza Yousaf, appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court last week accused of extorting and abducting Mr Munro prior to his death.
Victoria McGowan, 41, and Steven Stewart, 50, face identical allegations to the 36-year-old El-Nakla. All three were released on bail.
Souter appeared from custody having previously made no plea on petition last week.
Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith fully committed Souter for trial and remanded her in custody ahead of further court dates being fixed.
Ex-Fife teacher behind bars
A former teacher jailed for molesting six pupils at his old school in Shetland previously sexually assaulted two boys while he was working in Fife, it has emerged.
Stephen Tait was put on the sex offenders register for life following a trial that convicted the 41-year-old of six charges of lewd, indecent and libidinous behaviour.
Jailing him for 30 months, Sheriff Ian Wallace told Tait his offending at Bell’s Brae Primary School in Lerwick as “ongoing, planned behaviour against children.”
He told the serial sex offender: “It was made more serious in that it was committed by you, a teacher, against young children who were in your care.”
Following the jury’s verdict, it was revealed that in 2012 Tait was convicted of sexual assault against children aged six and seven while he was working as a teacher in Fife.
And in 2013 he was convicted at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court after 57 indecent images of children were found on his computer.
Dealing in Rosyth
A 36-year-old cocaine dealer has been told to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work.
Adrian Burton, of Parkgate, Rosyth, previously pled guilty to being concerned in the supply of the class A drug between March 30 and April 1 2022.
He appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court for sentencing.
Sheriff Krista Johnston sentenced him to 300 hours of unpaid work, the maximum available, and three years of offender supervision.
‘Despicable’ theft
A sheriff jailed a “despicable” man who stole a laptop from a church while it was holding a drop-in session to help get people back into work
Nadeem Rubbani committed the theft despite being well-known to volunteers at the Gilfillan Memorial Church on Whitehall Crescent
The brazen 37-year-old flogged it to Cash Converters on the same street.
Serial offender Rubbani, who admitted the offence at the city’s sheriff court, was already remanded in custody in connection with other allegations.
However, a sheriff said he would have jailed him anyway.
Prosecutor Kate Scarborough said the church on Whitehall Crescent run the drop-in to allow people to speak to advisors about finding a job, with warm food also provided.
Two laptops are used for people to job search and Rubbani, of Mary Slessor Square, was described as a “regular visitor” to the service.
Ms Scarborough said: “He was observed to attend the drop-in on that day in question and when he left, it was observed a laptop and mouse had gone missing.
“The witnesses contacted the local Cash Converters and the laptop and mouse were still at the store.
“The accused was identified as the person who had attended and sold it to them.”
Rubbani admitted the August 4 2023 theft.
Solicitor Kyra Strachan said Rubbani’s mental health had deteriorated at the time and was still struggling to cope with the death of his mother from the previous year.
Sheriff Keith O’Mahony said before jailing Rubbani for six months: “Theft from a church and theft from people who are trying to assist you is undoubtedly despicable.”
Drink and drugs shame
A Marks and Spencer manager spent a night behind bars after being found drunk in his car with cocaine after a staff Christmas party.
Jake Finan was found lying in the driver’s seat and with a puddle of vomit by the car door when police arrived to investigate.
When an officer roused him and asked what he was doing, Finan replied: “That’s a good question.”
He claimed he had fallen asleep in his car with the engine running after picking up a late night kebab on his way home from the festive night out.
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