Teenager ‘on cusp of being remanded’

A teen has been given a final chance to meet court requirements.

Ronald Mitchell appeared at Stirling Sheriff Court on Wednesday.

The 18-year-old was due to be sentenced for possessing ecstasy in Friars Street on February 9 and damaging fixtures, fittings and items of furniture at Springkerse House on February 15.

However, the court heard that a pre-sentence report had not been completed as Mitchell, of Muirend Road in Stirling, had missed an appointment with social workers.

His solicitor Frazer McCready said that the accused had got his dates mixed up, after failing to receive an initial letter about the date.

“He understood the appointment to be on June 19, not the 12th,”said Mr McCready. “He tells me that he attended on the 19th and was informed that he was there on the wrong day.”

Sheriff Wyllie Robertson stood the case down to see if it could be ascertained that Mitchell had attended a week late, however he was later informed that there was no way of saying if the accused had definitely attended or not.

“You were on the cusp of being remanded today,”Sheriff Robertson told Mitchell.“The only reason that I am not going to do that is the fact that Miss Kay (the social worker) said that she couldn’t tell me whether there is any record of you being there.”

Sheriff Robertson informed Mitchell that he must attend a social work appointment scheduled later for that day and continued the case until July 26 to allow the report to be completed.