Jailed over car scam
A Perthshire man who pocketed almost £15,000 in a car buying scam was jailed for nine months at Perth Sheriff Court this week.
Thirty-six-year-old Barry Gillespie, of Glenshee Drive, Rattray, had been given a chance to repay the cash.
And he had handed over £1000 following his last court appearance in February.
But an expected £200-a-month contribution from a family member hadn’t been forthcoming.
The accused, said by his lawyer David Holmes to have a heroin problem, hadn’t previously served a custodial sentence.
He asked the sheriff not to send his client to prison.
If he did, that would result in the complainer being out of pocket.
But Sheriff Gillian Wade noted that an earlier Community Payback Order, imposed for a separate matter, had been breached.
“I have no reason to believe any order I would impose would be adhered to,” she stated.
Describing it as “a serious fraud involving a substantial sum of money,” she handed down the jail term.
Gillespie admitted forming a fraudulent scheme to obtain cash by pretending to Stephen Woodhead that he would purchase vehicles on his behalf.
He thereafter obtained £14,900 between November 14 and December 1, 2013.
Barry Gillespie arrives at court
who have lost children in similar circumstances.
A woman broke down in tears in the public gallery at Perth Sheriff Court after her husband of just six weeks was remanded for reports on counterfeit currency charges.
Eighteen-year-old Martin Lawrence revealed that she couldn’t drive - and would be left stranded in the city after he had travelled almost 400 miles from his home for the court appearance.
“How is she going to get home?” he frantically asked the sheriff.
He begged for his liberty while the report was prepared.
But Sheriff Lindsay Foulis said: “Having regard to the nature of the offences to which you have pled guilty and your record - you will be remanded in custody.”
Lawrence, of Monmouth Drive, Leicester, admitted passing fake Bank of England £50 notes at three Perthshire stores.
The first was at the Co-op, in Blairgowrie’s Wellmeadow, on June 12 last year.
Another dodgy note turned up at the Nisa Store in Perth’s Main Street, Bridgend, on June 15, followed by a third, the same day, at Sugar and Spice in Auchterarder.
Solicitor Steve Lafferty said that the accused works with his father in Leicester.
“If allowed a further opportunity, he would attend for reports.”
After being told he would be remanded in custody meantime, the accused’s wife sobbed uncontrollably.
As he was led in handcuffs from the dock, Lawrence told her: “Don’t worry.”
He will return to court for sentence on April 5.
A Perth stalker “blatantly breached” a court order by confronting his victim in a local supermarket - and apologising for his previous conduct.
Fifty-eight-year-old Alan Rorrison, of Muirton Place, had a three-year NonHarassment Order imposed last year - and was also fined £2000 - for stalking the woman in several city centre streets over a three-month period.
But within four months, he had flouted the order by speaking to the terrified female in the Asda supermarket in Dunkeld Road.
He went to within a foot of her and said: “I know I’m not supposed to come near you.”
As she tried to ignore him, he added: “I wasn’t in my right mind last year. “It was out of character.” As the woman turned away, Rorrison left the Dunkeld Road store.
But depute fiscal Craig Donald told Perth Sheriff Court this week: “She was upset and frightened at what the accused did and said - and contacted the police.”
When cautioned and charged, he insisted: “I was doing the right thing. I apologised.”
The Non-Harassment Order - and hefty fine - were imposed at the Perth court on September 7 last year.
In addition, he had been banned from entering the city’s George Street for three years.
But he admitted that on January 16 this year, he approached the women in the supermarket - and spoke to her.
Rorrison had made the female’s life a misery last year as he engaged in a course of conduct which caused her “fear or alarm.”
He admitted a catalogue of incidents which took place at the city’s North Inch, George Street, Melville Street, North Methven Street and Mill Street between March 1 and June 23, 2016.
The court was told that he repeatedly attended and loitered in places where he knew she would be present; repeatedly approached her and attempted to engage her in conversation; repeatedly communicated with her; repeatedly attended at her place of employment - and repeatedly followed her.
The court heard last year that EU referendum officials tried to smuggle the terrified woman out the back door of a polling station when she went to cast her vote.
But he spotted her as she made off and followed her through several streets.
She eventually approached two police officers who saw Rorrison’s head sticking out from behind a nearby parked car.
Solicitor Rosie Scott described the accused this week as “isolated.”
She added: “He does have problems with friendships and has never had a proper relationship.”
When he saw her in the Asda store, he “foolishly” decided to apologise for everything that had happened last year.
Sheriff Gillian Wade said: “This was a blatant breach of a court order.
“He knew the court order was in place.”
She deferred sentence until May 3 to get further background information on the accused before passing sentence.
And she warned him: “Under no circumstances must you approach this lady.
“You must stick very clearly to the terms of the Non-Harassment Order, whatever you may think.”
A Highland Perthshire man, made the subject of a life-long Sexual Offences Prevention Order, was caught with photographs of naked young girls, aged 10-14.
The indecent images were discovered after detectives made an unannounced visit to the home of Robert Holmes at East Lodge, on the Bolfracks Estate, Aberfeldy.
Perth Sheriff Court was told that the 46-year-old, a registered sex offender, had moved north from Yorkshire on May 28, 2016.
He had been jailed for 12 months at Leeds Crown Court in March, 2007, for possessing indecent photographs of children.
He was also banned for life from working with children - and ordered not to possess or download any images of youngsters under 16 - as part of the Sexual Offences Prevention Order.
Depute fiscal Carol Whyte told the court that police carried out an unannounced visit to the lodge on Wednesday, July 6, last year.
A laptop computer and a Nokia mobile phone were on “open view” at his address.
The accused, described as a prisoner at Perth, also produced a further mobile phone which he said he had recently bought.
It was “capable” of accessing the Internet, the court heard.
He gave his consent to the computer and phone being searched and “concerning search terms” - and images - were found, explained the fiscal.
Holmes then voluntarily produced a USB pen where the images had been stored.
Three of the images appeared to be of children under the age of 16, which breached the terms of the Sexual Offences Prevention Order.
“As a result of that, the accused was arrested and taken to Perth police office,” added Ms Whyte.
When the USB pen drive was forensically examined, the three Category C images of naked young girls were discovered.
They had been “created” on May 16, 2016.
Holmes admitted having the indecent photographs in his possession at his home between May 16 and July 6, 2016, and downloading them between May 16 and July 4.
He also pled guilty to a third charge of contravening the terms of the sexual offences order by being in possession of the memory stick at East Lodge on July 6.
Solicitor David Holmes told the court on Wednesday that since the accused’s last court appearance he had “reflected on matters” and now knew he shouldn’t have accessed the internet sites.
Sheriff Gillian Wade jailed him for a total of 18 months and ordered that he be supervised for four years following his release.
She noted there had been a “degree of planning” as he had transferred the images to a memory stick.
The jail term was backdated to when he was first remanded in custody.
Holmes will remain subject to the life-long Sexual Offences Prevention Order to protect the public from serious harm.
A painter and decorator who stole more than £30 from an “honesty tin” at Scone Aerodrome was spared a jail term this week.
Instead, 31-year-old Ryan Wishart, now of Victoria Street, Alyth, was ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work.
He will also be supervised for six months to ensure he doesn’t relapse into taking illicit substances.
Formerly of Firbank Road, Perth, he admitted stealing the tin and its contents from the Scottish Aero Club premises on January 10.
Perth Sheriff Court was told that Wishart was challenged by an aerodrome worker and couldn’t give any explanation why he was there.
He was told to leave the area but was then spotted approaching one of the hangars on the sprawling site.
The employee “kept an eye” on him and saw him riding off on an orangecoloured motorbike.
He told a colleague about the suspicious activity and it was subsequently discovered that the honesty tin at the club, used to collect refreshment money, was missing.
The two men then searched the grounds and, using binoculars, saw there were lights on in workshops some distance away.
“They traced the accused, along with another person, confronted them and demanded the return of the money and the tin,” explained depute fiscal Tina Dickie.
After about 15 minutes of “rummaging about,” £31.30 was handed over.
Solicitor David Holmes said his client had taken Valium that day
Describing it as “an opportunistic theft,” Sheriff Gillian Wade allowed Wishart three months to complete the unpaid work.
British Transport Police had to board a train when it stopped in Perth after a drunken passenger made lewd suggestions to female passengers.
And when 33-year-old Graeme Sinclair was arrested, he threatened to kill the officers, Perth Sheriff Court was told.
His lawyer said he was “totally inebriated” at the time - but had subsequently stopped drinking because he was so ashamed at his behaviour.
The incident took place on a train travelling between Stirling and Perth on May 18 last year.
Depute fiscal Tina Dickie said that the accused had boarded the London King’s Cross-Inverness train at Newcastle.
She explained: “During the course of the journey, catering staff refused to sell him any more alcohol.
“Shortly after the train had stopped and picked up more people in Stirling, he was seen staggering over to passengers.”
A stream of unsavoury remarks followed and staff called British Transport Police to meet the service in Perth.
When officers approached the accused, he shouted: “I haven’t done anything.
“I’m just having a drink,” he maintained.
As police arrested him, he said: “I’m going to f***ing destroy you. “I’ll make sure you’re done.” And he then added: “I’ll f***ing kill you.”
Solicitor David Holmes said: “He’s genuinely sorry for what he has done. “As a result, he stopped drinking.” And that had continued over the festive season and at the funeral of his father.
“He recognised he had developed a problem,” stated the lawyer.
“He accepts his behaviour was absolutely disgraceful and apologises for it.
“He had started drinking early and was totally inebriated when this offence took place.”
Sinclair admitted repeatedly shouting and swearing and making violent threats during the May 18 train journey.
A not guilty plea was accepted to a second charge of resisting arrest by PC John MacNaughton by struggling violently with him.
Imposing a £1200 fine, Sheriff David Griffiths told him: “People are entitled to travel on public transport without being subjected to this disgraceful behaviour.”
Sinclair, of Fountain Square, Haster, near Wick, will pay the penalty at £200 a month.
I have no reason to believe any order I impose would be adhered to