INVERNESS SHERIFF COURT ROUND-UP: Armed car-jacker and savage attack among last month's court business
Inverness Sheriff Court saw a huge mix of criminal business in December.
Here's our recap of some of the cases that made the headlines last month.
A teenage armed robber took police on a 120mph chase after holding up a petrol station on his way to meet a female friend.
William MacLeod targeted the Esso Kessock garage in Inverness on May 9 this year.
An Inverness man who assaulted police officers and hurled racist abuse at them after a stand-off on his roof has avoided jail.
Ross Williamson (37), of Culchunaig Road, Inverness climbed on the roof of a flat in Knocknagael Road on September 15, 2023 while under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
A 44-year-old Nairn man admitted a charge of drink-driving with more than five times the legal limit of alcohol in his system.
Fiscal depute Victoria Silver said he was still drinking from a bottle of wine when the officers went to speak to him.
• READ MORE: Sentence for A96 drink-driver who was swigging wine when police went to speak to him
An Inverness-shire man has been fined after admitting he ploughed up a badger's sett on a field outside the city.
He had been charged with the offence under the Protection of Badgers Act.
• READ MORE: Hefty fine for farmer who ploughed up a badger's sett
No explanation could be given why a 55-year-old plasterer veered his van onto the opposite carriageway to cause a collision with an oncoming vehicle which seriously injured the driver.
Andrew Maclean, of Allarburn Place, Kiltarlity appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court and admitted causing serious injury by careless driving outside Beauly on July 11, 2023.
• READ MORE: Plasterer’s collision with oncoming vehicle costs him his job
A Spanish national with a drink problem carried out "a drunken mini crime spree" over three days while visiting Inverness.
Sheriff Gary Aitken was told that 49-year-old Juan Collar was staying in a city centre guest house in Union Street when he stole two mobile phones and a handbag from three other premises.
A 25-year-old Inverness man who savagely attacked his partner and tried to throttle her last summer was jailed for 37 months to run alongside his current prison term for assaulting the same woman.
William MacFarlane, of Mackay Road, had been jailed last month at Inverness Sheriff Court for 40 months for beating up the same woman on February 11 this year and it was backdated to his remand date a few days later.
• READ MORE: Inverness man jailed for savage attack on partner after discovering intimate photo
Two Inverness women and two men from London who were recruited to assist in the sale of heroin in the Highlands avoided jail sentences because they were "vulnerable" and "taken advantage of".
The quartet were arrested following a police raid on a house in Wyvis Place, Inverness on July 13 last year.
• READ MORE: Inverness women and London men recruited to help sale of heroin in Highlands
A 23-year-old Inverness man was sitting on a High Street bench with his dog chatting to a friend when he took exception to a group of people walking past.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that Matthew Backhouse-Anderson of Millburn Road, Inverness shouted at one of woman: "Don't look at me again, you little b****."
• READ MORE: Inverness man chased group through city centre with razor blade in his pocket
A self-employed builder fell out with his wife and drove his car to a secluded free car park near the River Ness to calm down before drinking a bottle of whisky.
But when 51-year-old Waldemar Jaronski's family became concerned for his welfare on the night of April 4, they reported him to the police who were tasked to look for him.
• READ MORE: Inverness man decided to drink whisky in his car after falling out with his wife
Police on mobile patrol decided to stop a car being driven by an Inverness woman because she was known to be involved in drugs.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that when officers pulled over 38-year-old Ashley Kerr, of Aird Road, Inverness just after midnight on January 23 last year in Dores Road, a drug swipe proved positive for cocaine.
• READ MORE: Inverness drug-driver had more than 7 times legal limit of cocaine in her system
An injured Inverness man who subjected police to a tirade of foul language and racist abuse after they went to help him has been placed on a drug treatment and testing order.
Mark Macdonald (47), of Oldtown Road, was appearing for sentence at Inverness Sheriff Court after his case had been deferred for an assessment on whether he was suitable for such an order.
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