Get the kettle on – its time for our nightly round-up of local court cases…
Fine for dog attack
A man who struck a dog with a child’s bike and caused the animal “unnecessary suffering” has been fined.
Mark Noble, 38, admitted attacking the one-year-old pup, named Clover, at an address on Whitfield Rise, Dundee.
Noble pled guilty at Dundee Sheriff Court to committing the offence between June 1 and July 7 last year.
Kimberley Finnan, 30, of Whitfield Rise, was also charged with attacking Clover by repeatedly striking the dog on the head and body, seizing the animal by the collar, striking it on the head and repeatedly kicking it on the head and body.
Her not guilty plea was accepted by the Crown.
Noble, of Baxter Park Glebe, admitted throwing a child’s bike at the dog whereby it struck Clover on the body before striking the animal on the head.
He committed the offence while being responsible for the dog.
Sheriff John Rafferty fined Noble £360.
Karate teacher behind bars
A lifetime sex offender has been handed another jail term after he was caught with child abuse and bestiality material.
Former karate instructor David McAusland, 56, was previously handed a two-year prison sentence for distributing abuse images to other paedophiles.
McAusland is now back behind bars after being given a further custodial sentence along with a five-year extended sentence following his release.
Facemask complaint
A senior carer has allegedly lowered her face mask and blew into the face of a 94-year-old resident.
Jacqueline Lowden, 55, allegedly committed the offence while working as a senior care assistant at Pitkerro Care Centre, Pitkerro Road, Dundee.
Lowden is accused of assaulting the woman four weeks into the first UK lockdown.
It is alleged that Lowden, of Kerrsview Terrace, assaulted the pensioner by removing her face mask and deliberately blowing air from her mouth and into the resident’s face.
Lowden was not present when the case called at Dundee Sheriff Court.
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael continued the case without plea until later this month.
Abusive campaign
A Fife thug tore off his former girlfriend’s fake eyelashes during a horrific campaign of abuse.
James Graham pled guilty to engaging in a course of behaviour which was abusive towards ex-partner Becky Zamlynny between February 29 and March 21 in 2020.
Sex assault claim
A Kirkcaldy man has denied sexually assaulting a taxi driver.
Linas Karjus faces allegations that he sexually assaulted the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, in October last year.
Karjus is accused of handling the woman’s hair, repeatedly kissing her on the head and face and attempting to kiss her on the mouth over her face mask.
The 43-year-old is also accused of squeezing the woman’s clothed breast.
Karjus denies the charge he faces, which alleges the incident took place on the town’s Alexandra Street, where Karjus lives.
It is alleged that the woman was unknown to Karjus and acting in the course of her employment at the time of the alleged incident.
Karjus’s case will next call in Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on November 17.
In case you missed it
Monday court round-up — Garden fence blues and traffic warden karma
Friday court round-up — The bitter butcher and a sleep-driving claim
Thursday court round-up — A stalker fesses up and a sick home movie
Wednesday round-up — Raging ex goes to prison
Tuesday round-up — Toy sword attack and the price of three beers
The Exploited: Human trafficking in Tayside and Fife exposed
