Court round-up: All the latest news from Selkirk and Jedburgh sheriff courts
FINED
A BORDERS construction company who admitted safety breaches after a worker was injured on a building site in Galashiels has been fined £10,000.
Grant Morton, from Walkerburn, was struck on the body after a wall collapsed at the construction site in Gala Lane, Selkirk Sheriff Court was told.
Caberston Developments Ltd, which gave an address in High Street, Melrose, pleaded guilty failing to carry out a safety assessment of the risks to its employees between January 2017 and February 2018.
It also admitted failing to have a system in place to enable employees to permit the safe removal of walls.
The court heard Mr Morton was engaged in removing sections of basement wall using a construction breaker and the wall, in the absence of any supports to stablilise it, collapsed and struck him on the body to his injury on February 23, 2018.
RAPE CHARGES
A KELSO man will stand trial by jury later in the year on a series of sex charges including two counts of rape.
Darryl Wyper, 31, faces two charges of rape and sexual assault.
He is also accused of three sexual assaults, two charges of engaging in a course of behaviour which was abusive to a partner or ex-partner and also a charge of domestic abuse to severe injury.
Wyper faces a ninth charge of supplying a controlled drug.
He pleaded not guilty to all nine charges during a preliminary hearing at the High Court in Glasgow.
A trial date has been set for October 23.
CARELESS DRIVING
A MAN who admitted causing a crash in which another motorist received a head injury has been fined £500 at Selkirk Sheriff Court.
Forty-seven-year-old Gary Murdoch pulled his van out to overtake another vehicle heading north on the Galashiels to Stow road on May 10 last year.
But he failed to check his wing mirror and collided with a vehicle from behind him which was also overtaking at the time, pushing it onto an embankment.
The vehicle driver was taken to Borders General Hospital where he received eight stitches on his forehead.
Murdoch, of Bailie Path, Edinburgh, was initially charged with dangerous driving but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of careless driving before a trial was due to take place.
In addition to the fine, he had five penalty points added to his licence.
JAILED
A GALASHIELS man who caused a disturbance at Borders General Hospital has been jailed for four months at Selkirk Sheriff Court.
Twenty-eight-year-old Jordan Cunningham, of Church Square, pleaded guilty to shouting and swearing, acting in an aggressive manner and throwing medical materials around.
He also admitted removing a clock from the wall in the hospital and damaging it.
Earlier on the Tuesday, Cunningham had been in possession of a knife at Galavale House run by NHS Borders in Tweed Road, Galashiels.
Cunningham pleaded guilty to three charges and a not guilty plea to assaulting police and attempting to spit on an officer was accepted by the Crown.
Sheriff Kevin McCarron said he would have imposed a jail sentence of six months but gave a two months discount due to the guilty plea.
ASSAULT CHARGES
A 24-YEAR-OLD has admitted assaulting two women in Peebles.
Glenn Todd, who is currently remanded in custody on another matter, admitted the offences which happened in the George Street area of the town on September 16.
Sentence was deferred at Selkirk Sheriff Court until May 27 when Todd has other matters calling.
DRUGS OFFENCES
A 43-YEAR-OLD man caught with cocaine and cannabis after police searched his home in Jedburgh has been fined a total of £680 at the town’s Sheriff Court.
Officers attended Andrew Howarth’s address in Howden Road with a warrant on May 18 last year when they made the discovery.
Sixteen grammes of the Class A drug valued at £350 and 35 grammes of the Class B drug, worth £280, were seized during the raid.
Howarth, now living at Bountrees, Jedburgh, was also ordered to pay a £40 victim surcharge.
Co-accused Kirsty Slorance, 39, from Jedburgh, pleaded not guilty to the same charges and a trial date was set for April 9.
REMANDED
A 23-YEAR-OLD man has been remanded in custody after being accused of committing two offences in the Borders.
Andrew Miller, from Dalkeith, appeared in private at Jedburgh Sheriff Court charged with attempted theft and theft by housebreaking and theft of a motor vehicle.
He made no plea and the case was continued for further examination.
Miller was remanded in custody by Sheriff Janys Scott and is due to appear in court again next week.
TRIAL DATE
A KELSO man has been accused of sexually assaulting two females in a local hotel.
Thirty-three-year-old Michael Anderson, of Orchard Park, is charged with striking one woman on the body and biting another on the neck at the Ednam House Hotel on November 9.
He is also accused of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by acting in an aggressive manner, shouting and swearing and uttering derogatory remarks.
A trial has been set for April 9 at
Jedburgh Sheriff Court.
DEFERRED
SENTENCE has been deferred for a psychiatric assessment on a Hawick man who admitted a series of offences.
John Jay Scott, 25, of Oliver Park, admitted sexually assaulting a woman at a flat in Hawick, on October 8, 2022.
While engaging in sexual intercourse he grabbed her by the neck and restricted her breathing all to her injury.
He also obstructed two police officers on the same day and lashed out with his arms.
Scott also admitted assaulting two staff members at The Bourtree in Hawick on November 4 last year.
The case will recall at Jedburgh Sheriff Court on April 22 and Scott will remain in custody until then.
TRIAL
A HAWICK man is to be medically assessed to establish if he is fit to stand trial.
Christopher Murray, 41, has been accused of sexual assault to injury and sending sexual communications.
The case is due to recall at Jedburgh Sheriff Court on May 17.
DRUGS CHARGES
A HAWICK man has been accused of being concerned in the supply of a controlled drug.
Thirty-eight-year-old Stuart Ogilvie is also charged with possession of a class B drug.
A trial date has been set for October 11 at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.
An evidential hearing has been fixed for June 20.
BAIL BREACH CHARGES
LEE Johnstone, who is 33 and from Hawick, denied breaching his bail conditions and will stand trial at Jedburgh Sheriff Court on June 6.
ASSAULT CHARGES
A DUNS woman has been accused of assaulting two teenage boys.
Karen Campbell, 57, is alleged to have committed the offences on her home street of The Mount on January 17, 2022.
She is also charged with threatening or abusive behaviour and stealing a quantity of household items.
A trial has been scheduled for Jedburgh Sheriff Court on April 9.
TRIAL
FIFTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD Virgil Capatoiu, of Eastfield Road, Hawick, is accused of assaulting a woman at a house in Hawick on May 28 last year.
He also denies shouting and swearing and uttering threats of violence. A trial will take place at Jedburgh Sheriff Court on April 9.
TRIAL DATE
EUGENIA Tutuiana, 50, of Mansfield Gardens, Hawick, denies assaulting a man at a house in Eastfield Road, Hawick, on June 16 last year and will face trial at Jedburgh Sheriff Court on April 11.
INJURY CHARGE
A 33-YEAR-OLD woman will stand trial on a charge of striking a man on the head with an unknown implement to his injury.
Amy Wilson, who gave an address in Walkerburn, denies the offence said to have happened in Maxmill Park, Kelso, on August 10, 2022.
The trial will take place at Jedburgh Sheriff Court on April 9.
TRIAL
MASON Saich, 23, of Loan, Hawick, denies engaging in a course of behaviour which was abusive to a partner or ex-partner between June 1 last year and February 6 this year.
A trial has been set for Jedburgh sheriff Court on June 20.
NOT GUILTY
ROBERT Chaplin, who is 33 and from Hawthorn Road, Galashiels, had his not guilty plea to possessing cocaine at Hawick Police Station on July 30 last year accepted by the Crown.
MOORING CHARGES
THIRTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD Daniel Chetwynd, of Oliver Park, Hawick, denies dangerous driving on the A7 in Hawick and driving at excessive speeds on January 10 last year.
He also pleaded not guilty to failing to stop when required to do so by a police officer in uniform.
A trial date has been fixed for April 11 at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.
ADMONISHED
A 24-YEAR-OLD man has been admonished after admitting stealing a £5 vape from the Shell Garage in Edinburgh Road, Jedburgh, on April 21, 2022.
Jedburgh Sheriff Court heard Jack Conroy, of Ellesmere Road, Newcastle, had previously spent sometime in custody as he had faced another charge of stealing a motor vehicle in Oxnam Road, Jedburgh, but later had his not guilty plea accepted by the Crown.
DEFERRED
A 52-YEAR-OLD woman has admitted careless driving and failing to slow down for a horse and its rider.
Julie Glover, of Linton, near Kelso, pleaded guilty to the offence which happened on the B6352 road at Proctors Smithy, Kelso, on February 11 last year.
Sentence was deferred at Jedburgh Sheriff Court until April 9 for a personal appearance.
DRIVING CHARGE
A MOTORIST has been accused of dangerous driving on New Year’s Day causing pedestrians to take evasive action to avoid being struck.
Robin Hart, 48, of Main Street, Heiton, pleaded not guilty to the offence which is said to have happened on an unclassified road at Ladyrig Farm.
A trial will take place at Jedburgh Sheriff Court on July 16.
DRINK DRIVING CHARGE
A HAWICK motorist has been accused of driving while more than three times the legal alcohol limit.
Andrew Lauder, 61, of Hugh McLeod Place, denies driving on the A7 at Hawick on February 10 with a breath/alcohol count of 71 microgrammes – the legal limit being 22.
A trial has been fixed for July 16 at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.
HEROIN CHARGE
A HAWICK man has denied being in possession of heroin at the town’s Morrisons store.
Thirty-one-year-old William Sutherland, of Princes Street, pleaded not guilty to the offence which is said to have happened on April 16 last year.
A trial will take place a Jedburgh Sheriff Court on April 11.
CUSTODY
A JEDBURGH man appeared from custody at Selkirk Sheriff Court accused of committing a breach of the peace and breaching his bail conditions.
Shane Cowan, 28, pleaded not guilty to the charges and a trial date was fixed for April 18.
Bail was refused and Cowan was remanded in custody.
TRIALS DELAYED
TWO trials involving a Tweedbank man have been adjourned and will now take place in June.
Gregor Steel, 23, was due to face trial at Selkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday charged with dangerous driving, threatening or abusive behaviour and malicious damage.
He also faces another complaint alleging dangerous driving, driving a vehicle which was in a dangerous condition, threatening or abusive behaviour and possessing an offensive weapon.
Steel has denied all charges against him.
Due to the non-appearance of Crown witnesses, a new trial date has been fixed for June 25.
FINED
A 22-YEAR-OLD motorist who overtook a cyclist on a narrow Borders road struck the wing mirror of an oncoming vehicle, Selkirk Sheriff Court has been told.
Dashcam footage played in the courtroom showed how 22-year-old Lilly Glendinning swerved out to pass the bike but hit the oncoming vehicle instead.
The incident happened on the A701 road near Broughton on August 9, 2022. Glendinning, of Eastriggs, Dumfriesshire, was initially charged with dangerous driving but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of careless driving before a trial was due to start.
Sheriff Kevin McCarron fined the woman £350 and ordered five penalty points were placed on her licence.
PERSONAL APPEARANCE
A GALASHIELS man has been accused of breaching his community payback order and night-time curfew at his Torwoodlee Road home.
The case was continued for 34-year-old Michael Hartley to April 14 at Selkirk Sheriff Court for a personal appearance.