Thug bit and kicked cop

Supervision was the punishment for a vicious Coatbridge thug who resisted arrest – and kicked and bit a cop on the body.

Crazed Craig McVeigh was confronted by three officers on Muirdyke Road, also in Coatbridge, on October 28 last year.

It may have been three days before Hallowe’en, but McVeigh began his monstrous behaviour early by repeatedly pulling his arms away, striking out with his arms and legs and struggling with the constables in a violent attempt to evade handcuffs being applied to his wrists.

McVeigh’s rage then increased when he aggressively attacked one of the officers by kicking him and sinking his teeth into his body.

The 37- year- old continued repeatedly shouting and swearing and spouted offensive remarks and violent threats en-route to Coatbridge police office, and on arrival at the Whittington Street facility.

He was placed in the police cells and later owned up to his shameful conduct during an appearance at Airdrie Sheriff Court.

McVeigh, from Bothwell Place, was back for sentencing last week after a deferral for reports into his background.

His defence solicitor, Roberto Manini, told the court: “This was a serious offence and his behaviour was unacceptable.

“He has expressed his remorse for his actions and would comply with a non-custodial sentence.”

Sheriff Petra Collins was convinced to avoid sending McVeigh to prison and sentenced him to a community payback order with a year’s supervision as “a direct alternative to custody”.

Spit assault

A heinous woman who spat on another female at a Coatbridge shop has been ordered to pay her victim compensation.

Andrea Renicks’ disgusting act came at the beginning of 24 hours of madness in her home town. She spat on the head of the stunned woman at Monklands Convenience Stores on Coatbridge Main Street on February 17 last year.

The foul-mouthed 27-year-old then turned up at a property on her home street, Jackson Court, the following day and repeatedly shouted, swore and acted aggressively to place others in a state of fear and alarm.

Renicks pleaded guilty to both offences and a deferral for background reports was put in place at Airdrie Sheriff Court.

However, during a court date last month, Renicks was warned she faced jail time if she continued to fail to engage with the reports. Renicks resurfaced in the dock last week and finally faced justice for her unruly behaviour following the completion of her background reports.

Her defence solicitor, Nicky Matteo, appealed for a non-custodial sentence for his client and revealed she was “in a position to pay a financial penalty”.

Sheriff Petra Collins chose to hit Renicks in the pocket, telling her: “I will issue a compensation order whereby you will pay £100 to the victim.”

The sheriff also placed Renicks on a community payback order where she will be under supervision for the next year.

Serial shoplifter

Sentence has been further deferred on a prolific Airdrie thief who struck at four shops in the town in the space of as many months.

Opportunistic Stephen Nimmo began his roll call of shoplifting shame by pocketing electrical goods from Home Stores on Stirling Street on December 5, 2015.

He was back on the hunt in Airdrie town centre six days later when, perhaps on the lookout for an early Christmas present, he swiped Soap and Glory gift sets from Boots on Graham Street.

Nimmo must have been feeling the winter chill as, four days later, he stole a jacket from Store Twenty-One, also on Graham Street.

The nimble-fingered 26-year-old’s shoplifting spree came to an end on March 21 last year as the red-blooded male made off with a quantity of meat from Graham Street’s Iceland store.

Nimmo, a native of Milton Street, entered a guilty plea to all four thefts at Airdrie Sheriff Court and was due to be sentenced last Wednesday after social work background reports were completed.

But the court heard that the reports were unavailable due to a backlog of other cases involving Nimmo.

As a result, presiding sheriff, Petra Collins, chose to continue matters until March 29 for the “criminal justice social work reports previously called for and other matters calling”.

Abusive conduct

Behaving in a threatening and abusive manner led to a Baillieston yob being placed under supervision.

Kevin Reagan, 34, repeatedly kicked on the front door of a property on Kirk Street, Coatbridge, on December 17 last year.

He also shouted and demanded money, placing the people inside the house in a state of fear. Reagan, of Muirside Street, was back at Airdrie Sheriff Court for sentencing last week after admitting his guilt.

Defence solicitor Nicky Matteo told the court that background reports ordered for his clients showed he was “a suitable candidate for a community-based disposal” and that his client “expressed remorse for his actions”.

Reagan was then told he was being put under supervision for the next year as part of a community payback order handed down by Sheriff Petra Collins.

McVeigh’s rage increased when he attacked one of the officers by sinking his teeth into his body