COURT ROUND-UP: woman cons family, police car chase and woman kicked by ‘heavily intoxicated’ man
Inverness Sheriff Court saw a mix of criminal cases last week, including a woman who conned her family, a man involved in a car chase, a man kicking a woman in the city centre and a teen admitting to threatening or abusive behaviour.
Here's our recap of some of the cases that made the headlines last week:
Daughter who worked with Beauly mum on £35k con scheme is warned she faces jail
A woman who conned her family in a fake Hollywood actress scam faces jail after she failed to repay the cash.
Heather Dunlop (40) claimed to her loved ones that she had signed million pound contracts.
She and mum Ann Dunlop (69), from Beauly, convinced her brother David Bunton (52) to hand Heather cash to help her make the breakthrough.
A court heard Heather claimed she was mingling with A-listers such as Leonardo Di Caprio and Beyonce as well as being managed by US entertainment executive Irving Azoff.
Mr Azoff told the court by letter he had never met Heather.
Car deliberately driven towards police vehicle in Inverness incident
A man was involved in a car chase through city streets after giving an officer a false name and address.
Inverness Sheriff Court was told the drama began when a police officer on foot patrol in an Inverness housing estate became suspicious when he saw three men quickly leave a block of flats.
The constable went to speak to one of them on the morning of November 1 last year as he didn't recognise him and asked for his details as he had glazed eyes and was nervously holding a box wrapped in paper.
Inverness incident saw man kick woman in city centre
A man who kicked a woman on the chin causing her to hit her head on a bike stand admitted to a sheriff: "My actions were nothing short of deplorable."
Paul Butler (43) was appearing for sentence at Inverness Sheriff Court after pleading guilty to assault and with a background report prepared.
Representing himself, the court had previously been told that a distressed woman reacted to Butler who approached her during a night out and she hit him with her handbag.
Inverness court told of labourer’s double drinking disorder
A labourer who was involved in two drunken disturbances within a week of each other was ordered to carry out 135 hours of unpaid community work.
Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald was told by defence solicitor Rory Gowans that 21 year old Lewis Burley of Windsor Place, Conon Bridge was "hard-working but was free on a Saturday."
The sheriff told Burley: "You will be working even harder now. You behaved like a drunken idiot on two occasions."
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that the first occasion was at the Belladrum Music Festival on July 29 last year.
Burley admitted behaving aggressively towards police and then head-butting an officer after he was arrested and taken to Burnett Road police station in Inverness.
Inverness youth surprised by ex’s pregnancy
A teenager was upset when he learned that his girlfriend was pregnant and she hadn't told him.
Liam McAllister confronted the girl at her work at a store in Inverness's High Street on June 13 last year and began shouting and swearing at her.
The tirade continued outside the premises and the girl was crying and very upset, fiscal depute Shay Treanor told Inverness Sheriff Court.
The 18 year old of Old Perth Road, Inverness, admitted threatening or abusive behaviour.
Defence solicitor Marc Dickson said: "He was 17 at the time and the couple had separated a couple of weeks beforehand, when this matter arose.
