Moray court roundup - ‘Machete’ attack, retired RAF man banned over horror crash and mum-of-eight’s assault on driver
Our reporters have been in court this week, covering cases across the region.
Read on for some of the most notable cases over the last week.
Youth attacked with ‘machete’ on Elgin High Street
A youth was attacked with a machete-style blade after he punched a 17-year-old in the face on Elgin High Street.
Both teenagers, who cannot be named for legal reasons, ended up in a fight at around 6.15pm on November 16, 2024.
One was struck twice on the body and arm with what he told police was "a machete”.
The 17-year-old appeared before Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald at Inverness Sheriff Court and admitted assault to severe injury but under provocation due to him being a victim first in the violent encounter.
Fiscal depute Susan Love told the court that the casualty suffered lacerations to his chest and bicep with both requiring two stitches each.
"The incident was captured on CCTV and the accused was seen to conceal the blade in his clothes before walking away,” the prosecutor added.
“The two are known to each other and there was previous animosity between them.
"When he was arrested and interviewed by police he told them: 'I didn't mean to. I am sorry.'“
Sheriff Macdonald deferred sentence until June 3 for the preparation of a social background report on the first-time offender, which is longer than usual as he no longer lives in Scotland.
Retired RAF man banned from driving after crash left woman in wheelchair
A retired RAF firefighter's loss of concentration ended in a three-vehicle crash, which left a woman wheelchair bound and unlikely to walk again.
Inverness Sheriff Court was told that 80-year-old Gordon Thomson of Thornhill Road, Forres, did not realise that his BMW had hit a red Toyota Yaris as it slowed down in front of him.
The court heard that Thomson’s car pushed the other vehicle into the opposite lane and into the path of a Toyota Hilux pickup truck towing a trailer, which then detached and hit Thomson's car.
The crash happened on December 15, 2023, at the junction of the B9101 with the A96 in Auldearn.
Thomson, who is a full-time carer for his ailing wife, admitted to causing serious injury by careless driving and was fined £1575.
He was also banned from driving for 18 months and ordered to resit an extended driving test.
Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald told him: "It is alarming to me that you were not aware of what was happening, and you are still not aware of what happened.
“What is clear is you did not react to the traffic in front of you and caused significant injury to others."
Defence counsel Cat MacQueen said her client was intending to surrender his driving licence, which was clean after a 63-year career driving tractors, fire appliances, and cars.
She said there was no suggestion of excessive speed and all Thomson could remember before the collision was "two bumps."
"He did not see any brake lights or indicators on the Yaris." Ms MacQueen said.
She added that the expert assessment concluded that he hit the Yaris, which explains the two bumps.
"It remains unclear what the red Yaris was doing. He must accept he had a momentary loss of concentration and he is deeply regretful." Ms MacQueen concluded.
At an earlier hearing, fiscal depute Emily Hood told Sheriff Macdonald: "The Yaris was projected onto the opposing carriageway and collided with a Hilux and trailer. The trailer detached and hit the BMW."
Ms Hood said the most seriously injured was a rear-seat passenger in the Yaris.
"Lesley Thomson had to be extracted from her vehicle,” the fiscal depute said.
“She suffered multiple fractures to her ribs, spine, sternum and a perforated bowel.
“She now requires a wheelchair and is unlikely to walk again.
“She has a full-time carer, struggles to write and to talk due to an injury to her left lung."
Two other people also suffered fractures as a result of the collision.
Buckie mum-of-eight ‘repeatedly punched’ driver
A mum-of-eight who was the victim of a stabbing two years ago has appeared in court after she assaulted another woman.
Elgin Sheriff Court heard that Kaylana Murray launched the attack on March 28, 2024.
The other woman had been driving along Cluny Place in Buckie when Murray’s black jeep in front braked abruptly.
Both vehicles again came to a halt a short while later at the junction with West Church Street.
Fiscal depute Sophie Marshall told the court that Murray got out of her jeep and walked back towards the car behind.
The prosecutor added: “The witness rolled down her window a little and told the accused to go away because she had a child in the car with her.
“The accused grabbed her by the hair and attempted to pull her out of the vehicle.”
It was stated that Murray landed several punches.
When the police arrived on the scene they described the other woman as having “significant” swelling to her jaw and several scratches around her face.
The incident was captured on CCTV. A couple of days afterwards Murray went on her own accord to Elgin police station.
Defence solicitor Robert Cruickshank stated there had been a background to the attack.
This, the lawyer said, accounted for the “heightened degree of ill will between the parties”.
Both had been involved in a public row outside the town’s ScotMid Store in June 2023. This ended with the woman’s partner stabbing Murray with a flick knife, leaving her with a punctured lung and having to be airlifted to hospital in Aberdeen.
Mr Cruickshank asked for his 34-year-old client, who is pregnant, to be spared having to carry out unpaid work for the community, adding, “if not for her sake, then for the sake of her children.”
Sheriff Olga Pasportnikov instead ordered for Murray, of Douglas Crescent, Buckie, to be placed under the court’s supervision for the next 12 months.
Grieving dad resisted being handcuffed on A96
A grieving father has been given a driving ban after he resisted arrest and refused to be breathalysed.
Elgin Sheriff Court heard that a police patrol spotted a car at the side of the A96 at about 10.30pm on October 7.
On stopping, the officers saw that Bryan Buchan was the only person inside the vehicle, which was parked up between Keith and Fochabers.
After the 40-year-old refused to get out of the car one of the officers placed a handcuff on his right hand. However Buchan began to “struggle violently” and countered efforts to restrain his other hand.
The police eventually managed to handcuff him and take him to Elgin police station.
When interviewed, Buchan said: “I wasn’t driving”.
In addition he also called one of the officers an “immigrant” and told him to “**** off back to Ireland”.
Defence solicitor Megan Lee said: “Mr Buchan appreciates he behaved appallingly during this incident.”
The lawyer added, however, that her client had been struggling with both mental health and bereavement issues following the loss of his two-year-old child.
Ms Lee said he’d been in a “particularly dark place” on the night of the offence.
She told the court that Buchan made his “first foolish mistake” in deciding to drive to see his cousin in a car which was no longer insured because it was about to be sold.
When the vehicle then broke down en route, he called for help. His “second foolish mistake” was opting to have a drink while waiting for that help to arrive.
Buchan had his dog in the car with him. The court was told his drunken aggression towards the police had been partly caused by concern about what was going to happen to the animal.
As this was his second drink driving offence, following an earlier conviction in 2016, he was handed a three-year ban.
Sheriff Olga Pasportnikov also placed Buchan, who’s from The Leys, Macduff, under the court’s supervision for a year.
In addition she told ordered him to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work for the community and to pay £300 in compensation to the police officer he’d abused.
