Throttled terrified woman

A Coatbridge brute who throttled a woman has been placed under supervision.

Sean Lynch, 40, from Mitchell Street, pled guilty to the violent crime, which took place on April 29.

During an appearance at Airdrie Sheriff Court four months later, the procurator fiscal set out the scene of Lynch’s hideous offence: “It was around 6pm and two witnesses were in the property with the accused.

“They were under the influence of alcohol and a disagreement ensued. The accused grabbed a female by the throat and pushed her to the floor.

“Police were contacted and they arrived at 6.50pm, to see the witness sobbing and distressed.

“The accused was traced the following month and was taken to Motherwell police office.”

A deferral for background and community payback order progress reports followed and Lynch learned his fate in the dock last week.

Sheriff Frank Pieri imposed a fresh community payback order as a “direct alternative to custody” which will see Lynch under supervision for the next year.

Fined for breach

A Coatbridge man who grew cannabis plants and had a pang of conscience by turning himself into police has been hit in the pocket after breaching his court order sentence.

Barry Stack produced the class B drug from a property on Grantown Gardens in Glenmavis and, in March 2015, walked into Coatbridge police office to confess his deeds and ask officers to get rid of the plants.

The 33- year- old then pled guilty at Airdrie Sheriff Court to the drug production and, nine months later, was sentenced to a community payback order with one year of supervision and 100 hours’ unpaid work as an alternative to custody.

During Stack’s sentencing, the procurator fiscal described Stack’s extraordinary actions on the day of his arrest: “The accused attended Coatbridge police office in the early hours and made officers aware that he was cultivating cannabis at the property and asked them to remove it.

“Officers then attended the address and found seven plants growing, with a value of £400-to-£600.”

Stack’s then- defence solicitor, Darran Khorasani, attempted to shed some light on his client’s confession by saying: “These were peculiar circumstances and there were issues relating to other parties.

“He was concerned that the situation was going to escalate.”

Stack, of Langloan Crescent, was back in the dock last week after owning up to breaching his order.

Sheriff Frank Pieri then told Stack: “I am going to revoke the order and will instead fine you £450.”

Admonished

Breaching an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) – less than three weeks after it was handed down – led to a disruptive Shawhead man being admonished in court.

On “various occasions” between April 16 last year and the following day, Jamie Murray “permitted people in the dwelling house” at his Neidpath Place property to “make excessive noise to the fear and alarm of the lieges”.

Doing so meant the 20-year-old had defied an ASBO that was placed on him at Airdrie Sheriff Court.

Murray admitted the breach and was given an opportunity to prove he could be of good behaviour during a deferral.

He was due to discover his fate in the dock last week, but failed to surface.

But Murray’s defence lawyer Darran Khorasani and the procurator fiscal both confirmed that he had behaved and Sheriff Frank Pieri decided to admonish him in his absence.

Drink drive deferral

A drink- driver who got behind the wheel while more than four-and-ahalf times over the legal limit will return to court for sentencing.

Bargeddie native Carol Loughlin was pulled over by police at the McDonald’s restaurant at the Showcase Leisure Park, on Bargeddie Road, on September 12.

A subsequent test revealed the foolish 47- year- old had 103 microgrammes of alcohol in her breath, with the limit being 22.

Loughlin, of Dykehead Road, entered a guilty plea and was due to be sentenced at Airdrie Sheriff Court last week after background reports.

Sheriff Frank Pieri, however, wanted to further examine options for Loughlin’s punishment and further deferred matters until December 6 for a restriction of liberty assessment and a criminal justice social work report.

Knife brandished

A Coatbridge woman who brandished a knife while spouting a foul-mouthed rant at her partner faces a further wait to discover her fate.

Kelly McMullen shouted and swore and acted in an aggressive manner when confronting her terrified male victim at a property in Broughton Place, in Shawhead.

The offence took place on November 18 last year and 36-year-old McMullen admitted placing others in a “state of fear and alarm”.

Background reports on the Jackson Court native were ordered and she was back at Airdrie Sheriff Court last week.

However, after hearing from defence solicitor Fraser McKinnon that the reports were unavailable, Sheriff Frank Pieri adjourned sentencing until December 6 for “a restriction of liberty assessment”.

Police were contacted and they arrived to see the witness sobbing and distressed