Moray court roundup - Lossiemouth man jailed for sexually assaulting teen, domestic abuser’s threats and motorist’s cocaine-fuelled A96 trip

Another busy week of covering a variety of court cases has passed.

Read on as we bring you the most notable.

Elgin man admits violent attack

A man has admitted committing assault after losing his temper while in an Elgin shop.

John Whyte was described as having chased the man around the store, before repeatedly punching and kicking him on the head and body.

The attack, which happened on January 2, was caught on the shop’s CCTV and was also seen by witnesses.

It left its victim with a slight cut on his left temple which did not require hospital treatment.

Defence solicitor Megan Lee told Elgin Sheriff Court that, rather than happening suddenly and from out of the blue, there had been a long build-up to the violence.

She also stated that the attack was “wholly out of character” for her client.

Ms Lee said: “He’s a churchgoer and not someone who resorts to violence.”

The lawyer then described the victim of the assault as someone who’s “well known to this court”.

Sheriff Aitken interjected at that point to say this wasn’t relevant to the case.

Moray man (21) jailed for drug dealing and controlling behaviour

A 21-year-old man has been jailed for a string of offences involving drugs, controlling behaviour and continually ignoring court orders.

Grant Rowand appeared at Elgin Sheriff Court via a video link from Inverness Prison. The first series of charges against him stemmed from February 5 last year, when he went to Elgin Police Station to report a crime in which his phone had been stolen at knifepoint.

A backpack belonging to Rowand was later found nearby which contained £858 in cash. Also inside was cannabis with a street value of £1240, a small amount of magic mushrooms, plus 53 ecstacy tablets worth between £265 and £500.

Rowand initially claimed the contents were only for personal use, adding that he smoked a quarter ounce of cannabis a day.

Another offence, this time on April 17, saw him threaten two men with violence at an address in Forres.

He also pleaded guilty to breaching his bail conditions on May 23. The court heard that the police had spotted Rowand in Forres behind the wheel of an uninsured car.

56-year-old jailed for sexual assault on teenage girl in car

A 56-year-old man who sexually assaulted a teenage girl in a car has been jailed for 18 months.

Donald Kennedy, of Forth Place, Lossiemouth, pleaded guilty to the offence, against a 16-year-old girl, at Inverness Sheriff Court.

Kennedy admitted sexually assaulting the girl in a car in December 2023 and assaulting her in another incident in the same month.

The 56-year-old admitted perverting the course of justice by contacting his victim during criminal proceedings, sending threatening messages and sending a video of himself holding a knife to his throat, saying he would kill himself.

He also pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, by shouting and swearing at two women and shouting derogatory remarks.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank sentenced the Lossiemouth man to 18 months in custody and placed him on the Sex Offenders’ Register for seven years.

Moray man handed package in Aberdeen was found carrying £16k from ‘illicit drugs trade’

A man who was caught with more than £16,000 of cash deemed the proceeds of crime has been ordered to carry out unpaid work.

Ross Reid, of Woodlands Drive in Lhanbryde, was stopped by police in Keith on January 26, 2023, after officers witnessed him being handed a package in Aberdeen.

The package was found to contain £16,230 made from the “illicit drugs trade”.

The 27-year-old pleaded guilty to acquiring and possessing criminal property at Inverness Sheriff Court.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank ordered him to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work to be completed within 12 months as a direct alternative to a custodial sentence.

Reid’s defence solicitor said: “He’s a first offender with no prior convictions.

“At the time of his offence he was in a spiral of addiction and has now addressed that.”

Domestic abuser punched holes in walls

A man who used to punch holes in the walls when drunk has been banned from contacting his former partner for five years.

Elgin Sheriff Court heard that Gordon Henderson, who has now moved away from Moray, had been in a relationship with the woman since 2019.

Fiscal depute Shay Treanor said: “While under the influence of alcohol he was short tempered, showed no patience, and would humiliate and belittle her in front of her family and friends.

“The accused would often become angry and aggressive, punching holes in walls while he was drunk. He would also make comments about killing her.”

The relationship finally came to an end after she attended the MacMoray Festival without him in August last year.

She received numerous messages from him while at the music event in Elgin’s Cooper Park.

One of these stated: “I have put holes in your doors”.

Mr Treanor added that when the woman left Henderson she then received 45 messages from him on Facebook, “begging” her to come back home.

As well as banning Henderson from contacting his former partner, Sheriff Gary Aitken ordered him to take part in the Caledonian programme which is designed to counter domestic abuse.

Moray motorist banned for driving on A96 while on cocaine

A motorist has received a lengthy ban after he was caught driving on the A96 in Elgin while under the influence of cocaine.

Andrew Macbeth was stopped by the police on February 11. A drugs test subsequently showed more than 12 times the amount of cocaine than the level at which the drug is held to impair the ability to drive.

The 39-year-old offshore worker appeared at Elgin Sheriff Court where he was banned for three years.

Macbeth, whose address was given in court papers as Glebe Road, Kinloss, was also ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work for the community.

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