Court round-up: All the latest news from Selkirk and Jedburgh sheriff courts
REPORTS
BACKGROUND reports have been ordered into a Galashiels man who admitted assaulting another man to his severe injury. Thirty-year-old Jed Crerar struck his victim on the head causing him to fall to the ground in Green Street, Galashiels. He was originally charged with assault to permanent impairment and danger of life but the Crown accepted a plea to the lesser charge at Selkirk Sheriff Court. The assault happened on March 18 last year.
Sentence was deferred until May 14 and Crerar was granted bail.
CURFEW
A 36-YEAR-OLD man who admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin has been given an 11-month home night-time curfew.
Sean Ferguson was targeted by police during a raid on a property in Chiefswood Road, Melrose, on February 24 last year.
Selkirk Sheriff Court was told he was found to have £800 in cash in his possession.
Officers discovered a number of purple bags containing brown powder. Ferguson, of Heiton, near Kelso, also pleaded guilty to being in possession of cannabis.
The curfew means Ferguson must stay in his home between the hours of 7pm and 7am for the next 11 months.
He was also ordered to carry out 280 hours of unpaid work as part of a Community Payback Order.
PRIVATE HEARING
A 64-YEAR-OLD man has been remanded in custody after being accused of a series of offences.
Neil McNairn, of Galashiels, is charged with assault, malicious mischief, threatening or abusive behaviour and possession of an offensive weapon as well as breaching his bail conditions. He made no plea at Selkirk Sheriff Court and the case was continued for further examination and bail was refused.
REPORTS ORDERED
BACKGROUND reports have been ordered into a Selkirk man at the town’s sheriff court. Forty-three-year-old Alan McPherson bit a woman on the arm during a struggle at her Galashiels home and was caught in her bedroom a month later in breach of a court order.
McPherson pleaded guilty to the assault in Galashiels on December 2.
He also admitted breaching a court order by contacting the woman on January 8.
The court heard he had been drinking at the woman’s home and she left due to his behaviour.
When she returned prosecutor India McLean said he had been “extremely intoxicated “and an argument ensued. McPherson also pleaded guilty to breaching his bail conditions. Sentence was deferred until May 13.
REPORTS
BACKGROUND reports have been ordered into a Tweedbank man who admitted charges of police assault and threatening or abusive behaviour. Forty-six-year-old Neil Gray, of Craw Wood, pleaded guilty at Selkirk Sheriff Court to the offences.
Sentence was deferred until May 13 for the production of a Criminal Justice Social Work Report and a Restriction of Liberty Order assessment.
BANNED
A LILLIESLEAF man has admitted driving while disqualified and with no insurance. Twenty-five-year-old Ryan Hogg, of Hislops Row, pleaded guilty to the offences which happened on the B6359 road near his home village on August 28 last year.
Sentence was deferred at Selkirk Sheriff Court until July 9 and the outcome of his trial for other alleged offences. An interim driving disqualification has been imposed until that date.
FIREWORK
A 30-YEAR-OLD man who set off a firework outside a Peebles public house sparking a police response has been fined £325.
Selkirk Sheriff Court was told neighbours in the Old Town came out of their houses after hearing a loud bang and seeing the smoke on March 24 last year.
Jordan Carrick, from Peebles, pleaded guilty to a charge of breach of the peace.
The court heard that he had been drinking in the pub before going outside for a cigarette with another person and discharged the firework around 7.45pm.
Police were called and arrested Carrick after viewing the pub’s CCTV.
In address to the fine, Carrick was told to pay a victim surcharge of £20.
ASSAULT
A MAN who assaulted a woman to her injury and permanent disfigurement has been ordered to carry out 90 hours of unpaid work at Selkirk Sheriff Court. The victim was left with a two-inch scar on her head after 36-year-old Bryan Drum pushed her following an argument about his drinking. He pleaded guilty to the offence which happened at his home in Broom Drive, Galashiels, on September 30 last year. The court was told the woman was left feeling dizzy following the incident and required the head wound to be stitched.
A non-harassment order was not imposed as the victim said she was not in favour of one.
REMANDED
A MAN and a woman have been remanded in custody at Jedburgh Sheriff Court after being accused of assault and robbery.
It follows an incident in the Eyemouth area earlier this month. Thirty-nine-year-old Alexander Dow and Leanne Morton, who is 38, both made no plea during he private hearing and were fully committed for trial.
Bail was refused for the pair, who both gave addresses in the Borders.
Dow faces additional charges of driving while disqualified, no insurance, dangerous driving, refusing to give a preliminary sample when requested by police and possession of a controlled drug.
ASSAULT
ASSAULTING a former partner in Hawick’s High Street cost Carlos Morato a £200 fine.
The 20-year-old, who gave an address in Hawick, pleaded guilty to pushing the woman and causing her to fall to the ground on March 31.
Drew Long, prosecuting, said the couple had been in a previous relationship but parted several years ago.
At around 2am in the High Street the couple had an argument about something which had happened earlier that night and Morato continued to remonstrate with her.
Mr Long added: “He pushed her and caused her to fall to the ground. She did not suffer any injuries.”
Defence lawyer Liam Alexander said his client was a young man with no previous convictions.
He added he was holding down two jobs in forestry and also as a mechanic. Mr Alexander said it had been a drunken incident and things were said between the pair.
In addition to the £200 fine, Morato was ordered to pay a £10 victim surcharge and a non-harassment order was imposed for two years preventing him from having any contact with his former partner.
FIRE THREAT
A 36-YEAR-OLD man who threatened to set fire to his bed while his ex partner was in it – unless she returned it, following a break-up – has been fined a total of £320.
Austin Dodsworth admitted sending the menacing WhatsApp message to the woman at an address in Kelso on March 30, when he appeared at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.
Defence lawyer Ross Dow, said the threat was “entirely idle”.
REPORTS
A 34-YEAR-OLD Hawick man has admitted a charge of public indecency. Jamie Beattie exposed himself and carried out a sex act on himself in the town’s High Street on August 11. Jedburgh Sheriff Court was told the incident happened at 5.25pm when Beattie was sitting in a car and was on a smartphone at the time when a member of the public witnessed the offence and took some photographs before contacting the police. Defence lawyer Liam Alexander said there “had been a build-up” to the incident regarding his client and that the court would benefit from a background report.
Sentence was deferred until May 28 on Beattie, of Gladstone Street, Hawick, who was granted bail.
HOME CURFEW
A 50-YEAR-OLD man who was in possession of a metal bar in the Royal British Legion Club in Kelso has been placed on a night time home curfew at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.
Paul Brockbank pleaded guilty to having the offensive weapon at the Roxburgh Street premises on Saturday, February 3, this year.
Sheriff Peter Paterson said he was willing to go along with the recommendations of background reports by imposing a Restriction of Liberty Order.
As a result, Brockbank must stay in his home at Albert Place, Kelso, between the hours of 7pm and 7am for the next six months.
Sheriff Paterson added that due to the nature of the offence the sentence would be an alternative to custody.
DRUGS CHARGES
A HAWICK man faces trial on three charges of being concerned in the supply of a controlled drug. Forty-three-year-old Daniel Thwaites, of Wilton Crescent, is also accused of being in possession of a controlled drug.
A trial date has been fixed for August 13 at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.
SUPERVISION ORDER
A 41-YEAR-OLD man who admitted engaging in a course of conduct which was abusive to his former partner has narrowly avoided a prison sentence. Robert Herriot, of Caddon Court, Innerleithen, pleaded guilty on indictment to the offence which happened at locations in Selkirk and Galashiels.
Prosecutor Drew Long told Jedburgh Sheriff Court how on the night of July 16, 2022, he was involved in a struggle with the woman accusing her of taking drugs.
Two days later the woman was at a property in Galashiels when she heard a car vehicle draw up with Herriot swearing and demanding a bluetooth speaker back.
He was threatening her with violence for being “a grass” and the woman was so concerned for her safety she contacted the police.
Mr Long went on to describe other incidents.
During the six-month period he would often drive past an address in Selkirk, playing loud music and also tooting his car horn.
Herriot was finally arrested on January 26 last year following an incident at a house in Selkirk when he was shouting and swearing and making offensive remarks towards the woman. Sheriff Peter Paterson said the offending meant the court would be entitled to impose a custodial sentence. But he took into account Herriot was now drug free and working and instead imposed a Community Payback Order with supervision.
The sheriff also made a three-year Non-Harassment Order preventing Herriot from having any contact with the woman.
Sentence was deferred on another case for Herriot for good behaviour and the sheriff warned of the consequences if there was any further offending.
TRIAL
A HAWICK man will stand trial accused of assault by threats and robbery. Thirty-four-year-old James Jackson is also charged with theft by housebreaking and threatening or abusive behaviour.
He pleaded not guilty to all three charges at Jedburgh Sheriff Court and a trial date was set for the jury sitting scheduled for November 15. Jackson was granted bail but is currently on remand in connection with anther matter.
COMPENSATION
AN EYEMOUTH man has been ordered to pay £200 in compensation to the owner of a vehicle after slashing its tyres.
Richard Smith, 36, previously pleaded guilty at Jedburgh Sheriff Court to the offence in Skellas Brae, Eyemouth, on July 22 last year.
After being told Smith had been of good behaviour during a sixmonth period of deferred sentence, Sheriff Peter Paterson imposed the compensation order for the vandalism and admonished him on a charge of threatening or abusive behaviour.
REPORTS
REPORTS have been ordered into a Coldstream man who admitted sending offensive messages over social media to a woman. Twenty-seven-year-old Jacob Swan pleaded guilty to the offence which happened over a five-day period at a house in Home Place, Coldstream. Sentence was deferred at Jedburgh Sheriff Court until May 28 for the production of a Criminal Justice Social Work Report and a Restriction of Liberty Order assessment.