Volley of abuse at hospital

A 20-year-old man caused mayhem at Blairgowrie Cottage Hospital when he arrived for treatment, bleeding from an injury to his mouth.

Ardle Dempster’s bizarre and erratic behaviour involved him talking to himself and then jumping up and down on a chair, Perth Sheriff Court was told this week.

It emerged he had earlier been refused treatment at Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital because of his aggressive behaviour.

But when he was told he would have to return there to have his wound stitched, he unleashed a volley of abuse at a care nurse.

He continued to shout and swear at her and was so disruptive that a porter ushered other members of the public away from him to “prevent further distress.”

But Dempster then began to pace up and down and at one point lay down on the floor, according to depute fiscal Bill Kermode.

The police were then contacted but he responded by sitting down in the main reception area and demanding Valium from the porter.

And when he saw a marked police car pulling up at the hospital, he legged it out of a rear exit and made off across fields.

He was later traced and was given six months’ detention by Sheriff Lindsay Foulis.

Dempster, of Glenalmond Road, Blairgowrie, admitted shouting and swearing and behaving in an aggressive manner at the Perth Road hospital on February 28 this year.

He also stole a young child’s scooter from Rattray Primary School on March 21.

He was subject to two bail orders at the time.

Mr Kermode said when cautioned and charged with the hospital disruption, the accused replied: “I am sorry if I caused pain to anyone.

“I was in pain,” he added. He also apologised for the theft.

The scooter, which belonged to a 10-year-old pupil, had been left at the school bicycle sheds.

When the girl went back for it, it had gone and her mother appealed on social media for information.

She was told by a neighbour that a man, who turned out to be the accused, had been seen riding it.

The scooter was recovered from the accused’s home.

Solicitor Paul Ralph said: “The problem he has is that he hasn’t figured out how to access support and access help.”

He had subsequently spent time on remand while reports were prepared and he had been “struggling” with that.

Dempster was admonished on other charges of abusive behaviour towards his mother and grandmother at his mum’s house in Blairgowrie’s Arthur Street.

•A drunken farm worker abandoned his car in the middle of the busy A94 road, causing other vehicles to swerve to avoid smashing into it.

And when he was traced, he failed a roadside breath test, giving a reading of 128 microgrammes almost six times over the legal limit.

When he was subsequently taken to Perth police headquarters, however, Latvian Imants Budreckis refused to provide police with two further breath specimens for analysis.

The 28-year-old, of Stripside of Longleys, Meigle, was banned from driving meantime when he appeared from custody at Perth Sheriff Court.

He will learn how long he is off the road after pleading guilty to charges of dangerous driving and failing to give the specimens.

His Nissan Micra, valued at between £350 and £500, could also be forfeited.

He admitted that on May 21, on the A94, between Coupar Angus and Meigle, he drove dangerously by repeatedly veering onto the opposing carriageway.

He then stopped the car in the middle of the road, straddling the centre white line markings, before exiting the vehicle and leaving it unattended.

As a result, other road users had to take evasive action to avoid a collision.

He also failed, without reasonable excuse, to provide the further breath specimens at the Barrack Street police office in Perth.

Depute fiscal Nicola Gillespie moved for forfeiture of the vehicle in view of the high reading.

Sheriff Gillian Wade said: “Given the combination of the charges, I will call for background reports.”

She agreed to defer the bid to seize the car until the accused returns to court next month.

The background to both charges will be given then.

Budreckis, who was represented by Perth lawyer Billy Somerville, was freed on bail meantime.

•A Perth man was left scarred for life after he was attacked in a city centre street the day before Hogmanay.

Forty-six-year-old Barry Angus pushed victim Keiron Nicoll to the ground in South Street.

And while he lay there, he kicked him on the body to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement.

As a consequence he has restricted movement in the fingers of one of his hands, as well as other injuries.

While subject to bail conditions, Angus, of Tay Street, approached the victim’s wife in a local pub and told her to tell him “he’s a dead man”.

The accused will discover his fate on June 21 after a background report has been prepared.

He admitted that on various occasions on December 30, 2015, he assaulted Mr Nicoll.

Part of the charge which alleged that he struck and bit him on the body was deleted.

He also pled guilty to kicking Graeme Simpson on the body on various occasions in South Street the same day.

Angus then flouted a May 20, 2016, bail condition banning him from contacting either of the victims.

He did that by approaching Mr Nicoll’s in the Half a Tanner pub on December 18 and making a threat to her with the intention it would be relayed to her husband.

A not guilty plea was accepted to a further charge which alleged that he sent threatening and intimidating Facebook messages to Mr Simpson and Mr Nicoll.

The background to the incidents will be given next month.

Angus had his bail continued meantime.

•The defence have been given further time to prepare for the trial of a Perthshire woman accused of taking part in a £20,000 benefits scam over a near threeyear period.

Margaret Leaver (51), of Sauchob Crescent, Methven, was to have faced trial at Perth Sheriff Court on June 9.

But lawyer Billy Somerville told the court he had received 350 pages of documents from the Crown.

Her trial will now go ahead on September 5, with an earlier hearing set for August 17.

Leaver has denied that between August 31, 2013, and February 12, 2016, at her home, she knowingly failed to give prompt notification to the Department of Work and Pensions of a change in her circumstances which she knew would affect her entitlement to benefit.

As a result, she allegedly obtained Employment and Support Allowance totalling £15,703.70 to which she wasn’t entitled.

A second charge alleges that she was paid £4608.34p in Housing Benefit between September 2, 2013, and February 14, 2016, after failing to update Perth and Kinross Council of a change in her circumstances.

The trial had previously been delayed from March 27 but the sheriff agreed, in the circumstances, to grant the further adjournment.

Depute fiscal Tina Dickie offered no objection when the case was called.