After another busy week of covering court we have taken the opportunity to roundup some of the most notable cases of the past seven days.
Here’s our recap of what has been making the headlines.
Inverness Sheriff Court.
Buckie man had part of his nose bitten off after struggle
Police recovered a piece of a man’s nose from his garden after being called to deal with a disturbance involving two men.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that 20-year-old Thomas Stewart, of Longman Caravan Site, Inverness fought with Buckie man Colin Reid at his property in Milton Drive, Buckie on September 1, 2023 and bit part of his nose off during the struggle.
Stewart appeared before Sheriff Sara Matheson represented by Inverness solicitor David Patterson and admitted assault to severe injury and permanent disfigurement. He had sentence deferred for a background report until February 18.
Fiscal depute Emily Hood said that Mr Reid initially wouldn’t say what had happened to him but he was taken to hospital where he alleged a dog had bitten him.
However the prosecutor said he later admitted that he had been assaulted by Stewart.
Adam Golebiewski-crash driver appears at Banff Sheriff Court charged with four driving offences
A teenager has appeared in court charged with causing a car crash that saw a young goalkeeper lose both his legs.
Arran Paterson’s case was heard in private at Banff Sheriff Court on Wednesday, January 8.
The 19-year-old is facing four charges over the crash which happened in Macduff during the early hours of Sunday, September 8, last year.
Deveronside goalkeeper Adam Golebiewski (18) was one of four people travelling in the car which collided with a wall on Union Road.
He suffered life-changing injuries in the crash and had both of his legs amputated.
Paterson is accused of causing serious injury by driving dangerously, driving a vehicle without consent, driving without insurance and drink-driving.
Moray teen fractured intoxicated man’s skull with hammer
A 16-year-old Keith boy carried out a hammer attack on an intoxicated man after they fought at a cash machine in Buckie.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pulled the weapon out of his rucksack to strike his victim twice on the head and fracture his skull in the East Church Street incident on the afternoon of April 1 last year.
The rucksack was later abandoned. When police who had been alerted to the assault found the rucksack, it also had a knife in it.
The youngster appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court represented by solicitor Robert Cruickshank and admitted having the blade in a public place without reasonable excuse.
He also pleaded guilty to assaulting the man to his severe injury and danger of his life.
Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald heard that the first time offender, who had since been placed on a community payback order for a subsequent offence, told police on his arrest: “What do you think? The guy came towards me, he had something wrong with him. I pulled it out (the hammer) and hit him.
“If I wanted to kill him I would have kept going. I was scared. He was still moving when I left.”
Moray drug dealer attacked client who refused to hand over cash
A drug dealer attacked and robbed a buyer who wanted to see the drugs before he handed over any cash.
Matthew Christie appeared by video link at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit committing the offence on May 10 last year at The Meadows in Buckie.
Fiscal depute Naomi Duffy-Welsh stated: “The victim was pushed to the ground by the accused who was shouting at him to buy the cannabis. It was filmed by people nearby.
“The accused then searched him, took out his wallet and took cash out of it.”
The court heard that the police stopped Christie nearby and found £50 in his possession.
Stephen Carty acted as defence solicitor for the 34-year-old who lives on St Peter’s Terrace, Buckie.
The lawyer said: “His problem relates to substance misuse and he may benefit from a drug treatment and testing order.”
Moray police found Lossiemouth woman in Elgin with knife hidden up her sleeve
Police dispatched to carry out a welfare check on a Lossiemouth woman traced her to Elgin and found a knife hidden up her sleeve.
Sara Coull, of Stotfield Road, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court and admitted illegal possession of the four-inch blade in North College Street on August 27, last year.
Sentence was deferred on the 25-year-old by Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald for a background report to be compiled.
Coull is due to return to the same court on February 25.
Three motorists banned for drugs or drink
Three motorists have lost their licenses following cases heard at Elgin Sheriff Court.
The police received a call on August 6 regarding a man who’d driven away after being refused bar service at The Grampian Hotel in Keith.
Officers traced the vehicle to Netherha Road in Buckie, and arrived just as William Cormack was stepping out it.
A roadside breath test proved negative both for alcohol and drugs.
However, believing the 53-year-old to be under the influence of something, the officers took him to the police station.
Here, a blood test recorded a reading for cocaine that was more than seven times the safe limit for driving.
Cormack was banned from the roads for 16 months and placed under the court’s supervision for two years.
Andrew McBean of Chandlers Rise, Elgin, also lost his licence after being stopped on the A96 as it passes through the town on August 11.
A breath test later recorded a reading of 134, which is more than six times the legal limit for alcohol.
The court heard that the 53-year-old had previously been convicted for the same offence in 2016.
McBean was banned for three years and placed under the court’s supervision for the next 12 months.
In addition, he was ordered to stay at home between the hours of 8.30pm and 7am for the next four months.
Finally, at 1.20pm on November 21, a motorist pulled up at a set of temporary lights on the A96.
Waiting at the scene near Riverside Kitchens on the edge of Elgin, they saw another car approaching from behind at speed.
This vehicle, driven by John Inrig, failed to stop in time.
Inrig was very apologetic and freely admitted the collision had been his fault.
However the other motorist formed the opinion he’d been drinking and contacted the police.
A breath test later confirmed this, recording a reading of 53 compared to the legal limit of 22.
Sheriff Gordon Lamont banned him for two years and placed him under the court’s supervision for 12 months.