COURT ROUND-UP: Drugs baron, perverted behaviour, a drink-driving church minister and more... the last month in court business

Inverness Sheriff Court saw a huge mix of criminal business in March.

Here the Inverness Courier recaps some of the cases that made the headlines this month.

An Inverness gangland boss who hid drugs valued at thousands of pounds in secret woodland “stash sites” was foiled by police.

Ryan Ferguson's illicit scheme unravelled when police intercepted mobile phone conversations on an encrypted EncroChat device during surveillance operations.

The 30-year-old from Inverness – who called himself Titanium Otter – was jailed for five years and eight months today.

READ MORE: £500k drugs scheme unravelled as police crack encrypted calls bringing down Inverness gangland boss

A Highland hotel was fined £14,000 after an American tourist died in a horror accident when he stopped breathing after toppling backwards from a unsteady bench.

Patrick McGuire (67) had been visiting Scotland with his wife Anna when the tragedy struck.

She found him in the hotel grounds of Glengarry Castle Hotel after a bench he was sitting on tipped backwards trapping him unconscious and causing him to stop breathing.

READ MORE: A Highland hotel was fined £14,000 over failings that led to death of American tourist

A depute head teacher with a fetish for a 'fireman's lift' put together a "disturbing" collection of photographs showing primary school pupils in wrestling poses was spared jail.

Police officers found nearly 2500 images of children - many showing youngsters topless - on devices belonging to Alan Burns, of Charlotte Court, Nairn.

The 59-year-old was convicted of committing a breach of the peace by taking and keeping photos of pupils for his sexual gratification.

READ MORE: Deputy head teacher now living in Nairn spared jail despite thousands of images of children in wrestling poses

A Church of Scotland minister from Ross-shire was banned from driving for two years after getting behind the wheel while over four times the drink-driving limit.

Donald MacSween (67) of Kiltearn Parish Church had been suffering from depression at the time of the offence Inverness Sheriff Court heard.

He had turned to alcohol in a bid to make himself feel better on December 28 last year.

READ MORE: Church of Scotland minister from Ross-shire banned for drink-driving

A trio of men from Inverness were locked up over a string of assaults that a sheriff said showed a "gratuitous level of violence".

Daniel Stewart (25), Kieran Drummond (19) and George Stewart (also 19) were led to the cells up after admitting carrying out the attacks on three individuals - one of who was only 16-year-old at the time.

Inverness Sheriff Court was told the assaults took place on Clava Road, Hilton, on June 15, 2019.

READ MORE: Three Inverness men locked up over a series of assaults which a sheriff has described as showing "a gratuitous level of violence"

A MAN and woman who ransacked an Inverness hotel during the pandemic for alcohol and money have been spared jail.

Phillip Arnold (43) and Stephanie Norman (43) carried out the raid on October 6, 2020, Inverness Sheriff Court was told.

READ MORE: A pair of Inverness hotel thieves who ransacked a bar for alcohol and cash are spared jail

A young offender was locked up after being caught in an Inverness city centre shop armed with a lock-knife while heavily intoxicated.

Inverness Sheriff Court heard Josh McLaren (22) had been sent home from his construction job on November 29 last year.

Police then had to be called when he started knocking over and bumping into displays in the Co-op shop in Church Street around 2.30pm.

READ MORE: Inverness man had knife in shop after being sent home from construction job

Scotland's prosecution service warned that people who are involved in the abuse of children anywhere in the world will face justice after a Highland man was convicted of rape and sexual assault of young girls in the Philippines.

READ MORE: Nowhere to hide – warning to child abusers after Highland man jailed for rape and sex assaults on girls as young as four

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