COURT ROUND-UP: Sex offenders and domestic abusers among last month's Inverness court business
Inverness Sheriff Court saw a huge mix of criminal business in October.
Here's our recap of some of the cases that made the headlines last month.
A 53-year-old man was warned he could expect "a lengthy prison sentence" after a jury convicted him of attempting to murder his 78-year-old mother in a drunken frenzied attack on New Year's Day last year.
The High Court in Inverness heard that it was the second time Bruce Davis had been found guilty of such a serious offence. As a 16-year-old, he was sent to detention for four years in 1987.
A drug trafficking rapist serving time for subjecting teenagers to sex attacks made more than £6000 from his life of crime.
Adam Pentacost (34) used force to commit a series of rapes involving two much younger victims during assaults in Inverness.
• READ MORE: Inverness drug trafficking rapist made £6k from life of crime
A German tourist who killed his girlfriend in a road crash has completed 300 hours of voluntary work in his homeland, a court has heard.
Gerrit Reickmann (31) was driving a hired Citroën C3 when he ended up on the wrong side of the A82 near Drumnadrochit on October 12, 2020.
His vehicle then struck a Honda CRV being driven by Catherine Bruce who was left severely injured by the collision. The smash up also killed his passenger and then partner Melina Rosa Paprer (24).
• READ MORE: German tourist who killed girlfriend in A82 crash near Loch Ness gets 5-year driving ban
A sex offender who defied court orders preventing him from contacting children under the age of 16 and having internet-enabled devices was sent to detention for 16 months.
Neilie Clark, who is currently on remand at Polmont Young Offender's Institution, had been living in homeless accommodation in Church Street, Inverness when the offences took place.
A church missionary who conducted a campaign of domestic abuse against his vulnerable wife received a stern warning from a sheriff that he would be jailed if he offended again.
Sheriff David Harvie described the case involving Donald John Morrison, formerly of Old Edinburgh Road in Inverness, as "very disturbing" and that he had "deep concerns" about Morrison and his wife getting back together.
A knife attack victim refused surgery despite his hand being slashed by a blade and partly severed tendons in three of his fingers.
The incident happened in a property in Inverness's Anderson Street on June 12, 2022 when 40-year-old William Black and a woman went round to Mark Lennan's house to borrow some tobacco.
• READ MORE: Inverness man jailed after ‘nasty and unfortunate incident’ with knife
A 40-year-old Inverness man immediately apologised via a text message after he touched up a teenage girl as she lay on her bed five years ago.
However, it was two years later that it was reported to the police and Philip Moir, of Sinclair Park, was charged with the sex offence.
• READ MORE: Inverness man (40) charged with sex offence involving teenage girl
A paedophile who said the child he repeatedly raped initiated sex with him has been jailed for 10 years.
Fraser Murray (33) made the “troubling” claim in recent weeks to social workers tasked by a high court judge to investigate Murray’s background.
An ‘extremely dangerous’ rapist who carried out a string of sexual and violent crimes has been jailed for 12-and-a-half years.
Ryan MacDonald (31) committed the offences in the Sutherland, Inverness and Aberdeen areas between 2015 and 2020.
A 20-year-old Inverness man was banned from driving for 14 months and ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work after admitting drink-driving.
Inverness Sheriff Court was told that Tahmin Miah, of Ardross Court, was just over the legal limit with a 31mcgs of alcohol reading. The maximum is 22mcgs.
• READ MORE: Inverness drink-driver (20) caught for SECOND time without insurance
A shocking insight into how an organised crime group from the north of England targeted Inverness and the Highlands was given at Inverness Sheriff Court.
Fiscal depute David Morton detailed the sophistication of the drug dealing system used by a Liverpool crime gang known as Scouse Jack to bring heroin and cocaine to Inverness, Nairn and Aviemore, and how intelligence gathering and tracking of mobile phones by police played a vital role in trapping the pushers.
A convicted sex offender described by social workers as "a paedophile" was jailed for 15 months for having graphic indecent images of children being abused, one of whom was under two years old.
Roy Howe was appearing for sentence at Inverness Sheriff Court following the preparation of a social work background report after the 36-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to possessing the obscene material between January 2019 and September 28, 2023.
A 59-year-old Inverness man who downloaded over 22 hours of indecent videos of children being abused and more than 1000 still images over an eight-year period has avoided a jail sentence.
Instead, Nigel Gordon, who is living in temporary accommodation in Inverness's Lochalsh Road, must participate in a rehabilitation programme for sex offenders, remain under social work supervision for three years and carry out 240 hours of unpaid work. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for three years.
An Inverness pensioner who was caught in a "sting" operation by different members of three paedophile hunter groups has been ordered to take part in a rehabilitation programme for sex offenders involving children.
Raymond Paterson, of Kenneth Street, Inverness was caught after he communicated with the groups' decoys thinking they were children under 16.
A disqualified driver who attacked a cyclist by driving a van at him has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.
Ross Grant (29) struck his victim with the vehicle, resulting in him falling to the ground during the assault in Greig Street, in Inverness.
• READ MORE: Inverness disqualified driver jailed after hitting cyclist with van
A motorbike touring holiday of the Highlands almost turned to tragedy for two Dutch bikers when they collided with each other on a country road.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that 30-year-old Jordy Nuesink, from Apeldoorn in the Netherlands, failed to realise the tightness of a bend on the A939 Nairn to Ferness road on June 23, 2022.
• READ MORE: Dutch motorbike tourist bounced off car and into biker pal A939 Nairn to Ferness road
A train journey turned into a terrifying ordeal for two women when a fellow passenger stood up and buried his head into the breasts of one of them.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that Scott Grant, of Main Road in Cummingston, mumbled and moaned, moving his head side to side, as he buried his face into the chest of his 60-year-old victim.
A 34-year-old man has been jailed for organising drug-related crimes at locations including Inverness and Nairn while in prison.
Christopher Smith was sentenced at the High Court in Livingston on Thursday, October 24, 2024 after pleading guilty to organising the supply of controlled drugs.
An Inverness mother who was jailed for five-and-a-half years at the High Court in Edinburgh last week for "brutally" stabbing an Aberdeen woman in May last year was yesterday sentenced to 13 months in prison for an attempted mugging in the Highland capital.
Leah Petrie, designated a prisoner at HMP Grampian, was said by her lawyer, Marc Dickson, to be "in the grip of a significant drug addiction" but that she was "now drug free".
• READ MORE: Woman jailed for ‘brutal’ stabbing admits attempted mugging in Inverness
A rapist who abused children and young girls in the Highlands over the course of more than four decades has been jailed.
James Pollard was found guilty of nine charges on September 4 following a trial at the High Court in Inverness.
