Friday court round-up — Pool peeper and toothbrush stealer

A 62-year-old man who filmed a woman in a Glenrothes swimming pool changing cubicle has been handed a community payback order and put on the sex offenders register.

John Holmes, of Muirfield Drive, Glenrothes, appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court for sentencing after earlier pleading guilty to the voyeurism offence, which he committed at the Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre on July 21 this year.

The charge says he “did operate and record” a named female with the intention of enabling himself or another to observe her and to look at the image of her doing a private act.

It continues: “You did repeatedly position your mobile phone camera under the changing cubicle partition in order to record the said (woman) in a state of undress.”

Sheriff Mark Allan sentenced Holmes to 160 hours of unpaid work as part of a community payback order and put him on the sex offenders register for two years.

As part of his order, he must attend the Moving Forward to Change programme for sex offenders.

Rugby club embezzlement

Arbroath Rugby Club bosses discovered £9,500 had been embezzled by its treasurer days after she was voted out of her role at its AGM. Sharon McIntosh, who admitted embezzling the four-figure sum between September 2024 and September 2025, has already repaid two-thirds, Forfar Sheriff Court heard.

‘Very poor’ overtake by builder

A Fife builder has avoided a driving ban after he left a motorist and his child passenger “shocked and extremely distressed” by a “very poor” overtaking manoeuvre in Perth.

George Bird was originally charged with dangerous driving following the incident in the city’s Glasgow Road on March 15 this year.

The 60-year-old, from Inverkeithing, appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and pled guilty to an amended charge of careless driving.

The court heard he drove his Toyota Avensis too close to a car in front.

When the first vehicle slowed to the 20mph limit, Bird repeatedly flashed his full beam lights and sounded his horn once, then overtook when the car in front slowed to 11mph.

He cut across in front of the vehicle before disappearing out of sight.

The court heard the motorist was “shocked” and his infant son was “extremely distressed” by what had happened.

A lawyer for Bird said his client was unaware why the car in front had slowed.

He said it was “curious” the motorist then accelerated to 14mph as Bird overtook him.

The court heard Bird worked as a builder and slater at locations across the UK and needed his licence for his employment.

Sheriff Alison McKay told Bird: “It never ceases to amaze me when people in this court plead guilty to charges of careless or dangerous driving and THEN tell the court how important their driving licences are.

“It seems to me that the time you should be thinking about that is when you’re driving.”

She added: “This was a very poor piece of driving and I am particularly unimpressed by your plea on the basis that fault could be attributed to someone who was driving along, minding his own business, who was shocked and alarmed by the behaviour of the car behind him.”

The sheriff fined Bird £500 and imposed four penalty points.

Stone display accused in court

A French writer accused of taking a hammer to the Stone of Destiny exhibit in Perth Museum has appeared in court. Arnaud Harixcalde Logan was charged with malicious mischief following chaotic scenes at the city centre museum on July 12 last year. The 36-year-old, accused of smashing open the glass case housing the historic Stone of Scone, was in court to answer a warrant and successfully secured bail.

Electric toothbrush thief

A shoplifter who stole hundreds of pounds worth of electric toothbrushes from a Perth supermarket has been ordered to pay compensation.

Nathan Gillie admitted thieving from the Edinburgh Road Tesco on August 18 because he was “short of cash”.

Perth Sheriff Court heard he stole three Oral-B iO3 ice blue electric toothbrushes and a Philips Oneblade 360 face shaver.

Fiscal depute Stuart Duncan confirmed the goods were never recovered.

Defence agent Billy Somerville said: “The situation is that he was running extremely short of cash.”

He said his client, who has no previous convictions for shoplifting, had an issue with his wages that has now been resolved.

Prosecutors accepted a not guilty plea from former co-accused Paul Carr, 32.

Sheriff Jennifer Bain KC told Gillie: “It’s disappointing that a working man like yourself feels the need to resort to theft.

“I hope that this is a one-off and that there is no repeat of such offending behaviour.”

Gillie, of Bonnyrigg, was ordered to pay £517 compensation and fined a further £100.

Dental fees compensation

An assault victim is to receive compensation for dental fees after being attacked in a Dundee city centre pub.

Robbie Docherty admitted responsibility for attacking the man at The Counting House on Reform Street.

He repeatedly struck his victim on the head, threw him to the ground and struck him on the body to his injury.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard the man required almost £300 worth of dental work.

21-year-old Docherty, of Midmill Road, pled guilty to the single charge of assault to injury on February 22 2025.

He was fined £335 by Sheriff Nigel Cooke who also imposed £278 of compensation.

Escaped on pavement

A banned driver pulled his Range Rover onto the pavement to evade police in Arbroath.

Joe Ben Rennie, 29, appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court to be sentenced, having previously admitted driving dangerously and while disqualified.

Prosecutor Lee Corr explained Rennie, of Doo’cot Park in Arbroath, was banned from driving but police spotted him behind the wheel on Linton Road on July 17 last year.

Officers recognised him as a disqualified driver and moved to block the road.

Rennie stopped briefly but when police activated blue lights, he mounted the kerb and drove around them on the pavement before disappearing.

Solicitor Billy Rennie explained his client is on a community payback order for other offending until November.

He said: “The record shows road traffic but not to this level of offending. He’s by no means a prolific offender.”

Sheriff Mark Thorley disqualified Rennie for another 25 months and until he passes the extended test.

He placed him under supervision for a year and on a 7pm to 7am curfew for six months.

Demolished traffic light

A Fife drink-driver swerved to avoid a pedestrian, smashed into a traffic light, then continued trying to accelerate while her car was on top of it.

Oil and gas industry worker Lynn Campbell, 63, was more than four times the limit when she crashed her electric Kia on Kelty’s Main Street on July 14 this year.

At Dunfermline Sheriff Court, Sheriff Nigel Cooke told her: “You are perhaps fortunate matters were not a lot worse than they were; that no one was injured as a result of your driving.”

Campbell, of Kelty, pled guilty to dangerous driving and drink-driving.

Drink-driver

A freelance journalist was caught driving her car while more than five times the drink-drive limit.

Lynda Parker, 48, of Kirkcaldy, appeared at the town’s sheriff court to plead guilty to driving with excess alcohol in her system (119mics/ 22) on August 21 this year on roads in the town.

Prosecutor Matthew Knapp told the court it was around 5pm when police received a report Parker had left her home and was intoxicated and driving.

About half an hour later, officers saw her vehicle and followed her back to her home, where she parked in the driveway.

She failed a breath test and was taken to the police station.

Defence lawyer David Cranston said first offender Parker, who became tearful during proceedings, is humiliated to find herself in court.

The solicitor said Parker’s life had changed dramatically in the last few years and that this has been the catalyst for the unusual behaviour, drinking too much and “using it as a crutch and coping mechanism” that day.

Mr Cranston said Parker is a freelance journalist to trade and has worked more recently as a part-time receptionist.

Sheriff Neil Kinnear told Parker this seemed to be out of character and while sorry to hear about the circumstance she is under, said whatever the pressures in life, “you can’t get into a car when you have drunk this much alcohol”.

He said: “You can do yourself a lot of damage and hurt yourself and other people very badly. It’s a very, very high reading.”

The sheriff fined Parker £400 and banned her from driving for 16 months. He certified her suitable for the drink-drive rehabilitation scheme which will reduce the disqualification period by a quarter if successfully completed.

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