Hawick man caught with indecent images of children as young as six

And a summary of today’s sitting of Jedburgh Sheriff Court…

Author: Ally McGilvray Published 10 hours ago
Last updated 9 hours ago

A 36-year-old man was found in possession of more than three thousand indecent images, and 22 videos, of children as young as six.

Andrew Taylor, of Havelock Street in Hawick, collected the sickly draft from an address in the town’s Linden Park between 19 October 2019 and 8 April last year.

Jedburgh Sheriff Court heard more than 100 of the images today (Monday) and nine of the videos fell into the most serious category A.

Fiona Hamilton, prosecuting, said concerns had been raised by a former partner about what might be found on Taylor’s electronic equipment.

He initially denied any knowledge, but the offending images were found on a mobile phone and laptop taken from his address.

As well as admitting possession of the images, Taylor also admitted taking or allowing to be taken indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of a child.

Sheriff Peter Paterson adjourned sentence for background reports until March 13 and placed Taylor on the Sex Offenders’ Register in the meantime.

Hearing date

A 31-year-old man accused of repeatedly stabbing a man in the head and body in Hawick will stand trial in the summer.

Barry Kirsopp is alleged to have attacked Mark Turnbull on a footpath between Galalaw Road and Boonraw Road on July 20 last year.

He is also accused of being involved in a fight, hitting him on the head and body and threatening him with violence; as well as a separate charge of possessing a knife on the same date.

Kirsopp denied the charges when his case appeared at Jedburgh Sheriff Court today, and the case was continued for trial on June 12.

Screaming and swearing

A 35-year-old man admitted to threatening with weapons to kill police officers and others, and repeatedly kicking the inside of a police vehicle, on his way to Grens General Hospital.

Carl Kirsopp – described as a prisoner in Edinburgh – also pleaded guilty to shouting and swearing at ambulance staff trying to help him in Coldstream’s Abbey Road on September 12 last year, and trying to punch a police officer in the face hit.

His attorney, Matt Patrick, blamed alcohol abuse for his client’s behavior.

Sentencing was adjourned for three weeks for background reports, and Kirsopp is in custody in the meantime.

Storm Ram

A court heard how a woman was left “visibly scared” after a man with a battering ram entered her staircase and tried to break down her door.

Jarrid Neil admitted repeatedly kicking a door and smashing a window at the property in Galalaw Road, Hawick – in an attempt to force entry, with the intention of assaulting the occupant – in June last year.

Jedburgh Sheriff Court heard the 30-year-old threatened to stomp on the woman’s face and kill her. Fiona Hamilton, prosecuting, added: “She believed she was in danger.”

The flat’s occupant thought the disturbance was drug-related – but the court heard Neil disagreed, saying it was in response to an allegation the woman was in a relationship with someone else’s partner.

The court heard Neil – who blamed drink and drugs for his behavior – has already spent seven-and-a-half months in custody in connection with the case and is now clean.

Sheriff Peter Paterson adjourned sentence for background reports until February 27 and released him on bail in the meantime.

Unpaid work

A 26-year-old man who repeatedly approached a 14-year-old girl in Galashiels – telling her how beautiful she was and inviting her to his home – has admitted committing a breach of the peace.

Donald Forrest – who gave an address in the town’s Dale Street – also commented on the youngster’s outfit and took a vaporizer from her hand during the incidents, over two days in May last year.

His lawyer Ed Hulme blamed drink and drugs for his client’s behavior but said his arrest was “a wake-up call for him”.

At Jedburgh Sheriff Court, Forrest was ordered to carry out 60 hours of unpaid work.

Heroin good

A 37-year-old man caught with 39.5 grams of heroin at his Jedburgh home was fined £375 at the town’s Sheriff Court and ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge.

Police seized the Class A drug at Marcus Cree’s property in Bongate Gardens on March 23 last year.

The court heard it was mixed with caffeine and paracetamol and had a street value of between £850 and £1,970.

Blooming drama

A 55-year-old woman admitted to kicking two police officers who tried to restrain her, and tried to bite one.

Emergency services were called to Fiona Peddie’s address in the Drumlanrig area of Hawick in the early hours of November 27 last year after she cut herself in a fall.

But Jedburgh Sheriff Court heard today that Peddie, who had been drinking vodka, took exception to police treating the 999 call as a possible incident of domestic abuse – leading to her lashing out.

Her lawyer, Liam Alexander, explained his client was on blood-thinning medication and had cut her head off – causing her to “bleed profusely”.

Fiona Hamilton, prosecuting, said an attempt was made to bite one of the officer’s hands, but he was able to move away in time.

Peddie was fined £250 and ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge.

Drunk driving

A retired car manufacturer who crashed his vehicle while more than double the legal drink-drive limit has been fined £300 and banned from the road for 20 months.

Jedburgh Sheriff Court heard today that emergency services had to extricate Robert Corcoran from the wreck after he clipped the curb on the A68 at Inchbony Bridge, just south of the town, and collided with a heavy tractor unit on March 1 last year.

He admitted driving with a blood alcohol content of 109 milligrams, when the limit is 50 mg.

The 60-year-old, who lives at Howden Crescent in Jedburgh, had been drinking heavily at a party the night before and was feeling fine when he left to feed a friend’s birds of prey at around 1.20pm.

But the court heard Corcoran – who has two previous drink-driving convictions – suffered a serious pelvic fracture in the smash, which required surgery, and has no intention of driving again.

Hunting levy

A 29-year-old man accused of hunting foxes with hounds near Kelso could be “one of the last” to stand trial under the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002.

That’s according to Sheriff Peter Paterson, who spoke just days after MSPs passed a tougher new law restricting hunting with packs.

Myles O’Connor – who gave an address near Melrose – is alleged to have deliberately hunted a wild animal, namely a fox, with dogs at Middlemoor Plantation, at Hume, on 22 December 2021.

He maintained his not guilty plea when he appeared at Jedburgh Sheriff Court today, and his case went to trial next month.

Bread knife

A 26-year-old man admitted possessing a bread knife in Eyemouth High Street last summer without reasonable excuse.

But a not guilty plea to challenging three men to fight on the same date – August 7, 2022 – was accepted by the Crown.

Sentencing on Craig Keegan, from Paisley, was deferred until next month at Jedburgh Sheriff Court for background reports.

Threaten to kill

A 41-year-old woman who threatened to kill a former neighbor she suspected of having an affair with her partner has been given a chance to prove she can act.

Pamela Ducker, of Northcote Street, Hawick, told police: “I’ll stick the little $$$$ – I’m going to kill her f$$$!”

Jedburgh Sheriff Court heard officers were called to investigate reports Ducker was the victim of a domestic assault when she began shouting and swearing on January 4.

Her lawyer explained she was distressed at the time, drinking alcohol and on medication.

Sheriff Peter Paterson told Ducker that if she could stay out of trouble for the next six months, she would be cautioned.

Police assault

A 31-year-old woman who repeatedly tried to punch and kick a policewoman on the head and body at her home in Hawick has been fined £200 and ordered to pay a £10 victim surcharge.

Emtelle worker Sophie Bell previously admitted the offense – which happened on October 26, 2021 – and sentence was deferred at Jedburgh Sheriff Court for good behaviour.

Background reports

A 21-year-old woman has admitted attacking her ex’s new partner at a bar in Hawick after “words were exchanged and she lost her temper”.

Danae Aghakhan kicked her victim in the ribs – knocking her to the ground, where she continued to kick her to the body and punch her in the head, before others stepped in to separate them.

Jedburgh Sheriff Court heard the attack – which took place at the Exchange Bar on September 19, 2020 – left her victim with a broken rib and fluid on her lung.

Sentencing was adjourned until next month for background reports.

Teen hit PC

A teenager punched a policewoman in the face without warning and then started screaming and shouting, a court heard.

Officers were called to a separate incident at Gladstone Street in Hawick on February 20 last year when Megan Hardie, now 20, assaulted the constable.

Jedburgh Sheriff’s Court (pictured below) heard Hardie, of Lilliesleaf, also threatened to bite officers on a trip to the Borders General Hospital, when she violently struggled and hit her own head and body from a cage in a police vehicle .

But her lawyer, Ross Dow, said his client’s injuries were “not insignificant”, adding: “There is no doubt who ended up worse off.”

Sheriff Peter Paterson deferred sentence on the first offender for six months and told her if there was no further offending he was prepared to deal with her through some form of unpaid work.

If not, he warned her, “all options” would be open to the court.

Want to read more court? Click on these links: Man who set Melrose apartment on fire may go back to real estate

https://planetradio.co.uk/borders/local/news/thomas-baigan-melrose-sentenced-jedburgh-sheriff-court/

‘Cyber attack’ at Galashiels Doggy Day Care Center leads police to home of ‘disgruntled’ worker

https://planetradio.co.uk/borders/local/news/galashiels-doggy-day-care-lucy-kennedy/

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