Army cadet instructor pestered 14-year-old girls for explicit pics
A Perth army cadet instructor who ‘groomed’ two 14-year-old girls and pestered them to send him explicit pictures of themselves is complying “perfectly satisfactorily” with a Community Payback Order, the Sheriff Court was told this week.
Twenty-year-old Jack Ewan, of Allison Crescent, Hillyland, preyed on the youngsters, persistently asking them to meet him - and he also wanted one of them to carry out different sex acts on him.
Sheriff Simon Collins had previously warned him that a custodial disposal was at the forefront of his mind because of the “breach of trust and his abuse of a position of authority.”
But the accused, who was a first offender and suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, was instead ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
He was also told he would be supervised for two years and his name was added to the Sex Offenders’ Register for the same length of time.
He was subsequently dismissed from his post after the police became involved when the mother of a third cadet complained about him contacting her daughter, who was also 14.
Ewan previously admitted that on dates between July 1 and September 7 last year, at his home in Allison Crescent and elsewhere, he sent the first girl messages requesting that she carry out sex acts on him - and that she send an indecent photograph or video of herself.
He also previously pled guilty to a second charge of asking the other teen to send him indecent images of herself on various dates between July 1 and September 9 last year.
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis told Ewan on Wednesday: “Your performance on the order is perfectly satisfactory. Keep complying.”
The sheriff allowed the order to continue to its conclusion, without the need for any further reviews.
A Perth woman caused hundreds of pounds worth of damage when she tampered with her meter to get free electricity.
But the scam was discovered when council workmen went to check her flat after she had been remanded to Cornton Vale women’s prison in Stirling.
Perth Sheriff Court was told that the Scottish and Southern Energy meter had been by-passed, resulting in damage totalling £431.92p.
Thirty-nine-year-old Lynda Grainger had also obtained £31.26p worth of electricity, explained depute fiscal Bill Kermode.
The accused, of Stormont House, Atholl Street, was ordered to make compensation totalling £463.18p.
She admitted by-passing the meter at her former home in St Catherine’s Square, Perth, between April 27 and May 25 last year - and stealing a quantity of electricity.
Solicitor John McLaughlin said his client had been stabilised on a methadone programme.
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis admonished her on both charges but imposed the compensation order, payable at £10 a fortnight.
Police were alerted after an employee detected a “strong smell of alcohol” coming from a pensioner at a supermarket cash desk.
Sixty-seven-year-old William Mooney, of Corrie Place, Scone, then drove off in his car but officers traced him at his home - and he failed the Breathalyser.
Later tests showed he had been behind the wheel with almost four times the legal alcohol limit.
It also emerged that the OAP was a provisional licence holder and didn’t have any ‘L’ plates on his vehicle.
The offences led to him being fined £520 and banned from driving for 15 months at Perth Sheriff Court.
He admitted driving with 84 microgrammes of alcohol on his breath - the legal limit is 22 - at Tesco Express, Perth Road, Scone, on September 21 last year.
Depute fiscal Tina Dickie said that the cash desk incident took place at 5.50pm.
Police discovered the accused’s vehicle parked close to his home address.
When interviewed by officers he said he had been drinking alcohol since he arrived home.
Solicitor Billy Somerville said that according to an expert, the accused would still have been over the legal limit when he was driving earlier.
Mooney had been drinking that day but thought he would be alright to drive.
He had gone to the supermarket to top up his mobile phone.
He had since surrendered his licence to the DVLA and sold his car.
A Scone resident who admitted assaulting another man towards the end of last year will discover his fate next month.
Forty-three-year-old Martin Peebles, of Craigroyston Crescent, will be sentenced on April 19 after a violent confrontation in the Bridgend area of the city in 2016.
He admitted punching Richard Forbes on the head in Main Street on December 3 - and knocking him to the ground.
He then repeatedly punched and kicked him on the body, all to his injury.
In view of a previous conviction on two counts of assault to severe injury – for which he was jailed for 30 months in 2010 – Sheriff Gillian Wade called for a background report before deciding his fate.
Solicitor Billy Somerville said there had been a “build-up” to the incident, the background to which will be related next month.
Peebles had his bail, including a special condition banning him from approaching or contacting the victim, continued meantime.