# General > Doanalsin's Diary >  Cases from yesterday's sheriff court session

## Nwicker60

Woman plagued with unwanted texts

A MAN persisted in pestering an elderly woman with unwanted text messages, Wick Sheriff Court heard yesterday.
The 60-year-old woman called the police after she found herself unable to do anything to stop Brian Steele sending them - his last request was for a photo of her.
Steele, 43, admitted breaching, on May 24,this year, a Sexual Offences Prevention Order imposed at Dornoch Sheriff Court, on March 22, 2010, banning him from engaging in persistent behaviour towards any female, which was likely to cause her alarm and distress. 
Sheriff Andrew Berry was told that, initially, the woman replied to the first texts the accused sent, although she didn't recognise it as coming from someone she knew. The messages were "chatty" and "friendly".  
However, said David Barclay, prosecuting, it became apparent the texts were not intended for her.
Mr Barclay went on: "Had the accused appreciated this and ceased sending them, that would have been that.  It should have been clear to Steele that the woman was not the person he thought it was and that any further contact was unwanted but there were a further eight texts. While these started off in a general and straight-forward nature ,they went on to make reference to a previous sexual relationship and finally Steele asked the woman to sent him a photo of herself".
Mr Barclay added that at this point, the woman took the view that any attempts to rid her of the unwanted traffic were not going to be successful and she reported the matter to the police.
Steele told the police that he believed the woman was someone he knew from his distant past but accepted he had continued to send texts after it was patently clear that they were unwanted.
Mr Barclay said that the accused's guilty plea would come as a relief to the woman as it meant she would otherwise have had to give evidence.
Sheriff Berry, who called for reports, observed that Steele's record contained an earlier breach of the Sexual Offences Prevention order and other failures to comply with court orders.
Sentence was deferred until July 23.  Steele, of 1 Macleod Road, Wick, was remanded in custody. He will be place on the Sex Offenders Register meantime.

Drunk assaulted barmaid and resisted police

A WICK teenager who got drunk, assaulted a barmaid and resisted police was fined £300.
Part-time hairdresser Shauna-Anne Cassidy who was said to have consumed "more drink than she could handle" the day of the incidents, was also banned for two years from Wick's Retro Bar.
The trouble arose when the 19-year-old took exception to being told by the barmaid, Donna Edwards that she was not welcome when she entered the bar, on the night of March 25.  
Cassidy reacted by slapping Ms Edwards on her head.  The accused admitted charges of assault and resisting the police.
When police officers appeared on the scene, Cassidy, of 26 Cairndhuna Terrace, Wick, struggled violently with them, outside in Bridge Street and lashed out with her legs , repeatedly making contact with one of them.
Mr Barclay, prosecuting, said that alcohol had been "the key factor" in the accused's bad behaviour.
Solicitor Patrick O Dea stressed there was no history of animosity between the two women.
Social worker Brian Easton said that Cassidy had spent the day in a local hostelry and had taken not only more drink than she was used to, but more than she could handle.
Sheriff Berry, who was told that the accused planned to move to Edinburgh to be with her boyfriend  described her conduct as "totally inappropriate".
He added: "The lady working in the bar was entitled to be treated with respect and that applies equally to the police officers".

Plea change in syringe threat allegation

The Thurso man at the centre of an alleged syringe stab threat changed his plea.
Peter "Pedro" Mackay, 31, had denied on indictment, threatening to stab three people with the syringe he warned contained a liquid that would cause them to develop AIDS.
But he changed his plea on the second day of the jury trial.  Mackay, described as a prisoner at Perth Prison, admitted shouting and swearing at the trio, in Henderson Street, Thurso, on March 17, and brandishing an unidentified item.
The accused appeared to be "under the influence of something" when he approached the trio who were out walking a dog.
Mr Barclay, prosecuting, said that Mackay, was agitated and was rambling on about some disagreement over money.  
Sentence was deferred until July 23 for a background report.
The senior fiscal accepted pleas of not guilty tendered by Mackay to additonal charges of carrying a knife in public and shouting and swearing at the occupant of a house in Henderson Street.

----------

