Party ends in tears

A house-warming party ended in disaster for a young Newton Stewart couple after a falling-out led to one of them appearing at Stranraer Sheriff Court on Monday.
Michael McBain (24), 18 Mansefield Place, Minnigaff, pled guilty to smashing a window and uttering threats of violence towards Samantha Lowrie, his girlfriend, at 55 Queen Street, Newton Stewart, on April 19th.
Fiscal Kay Christie said the accused and his girlfriend had been having a house-warming that day and alcohol was being consumed.
Later, McBain wanted to continue the party at a friend's house but Ms Lowrie wanted to stay and tidy up and put the children to bed. They had a row, he left the house and she locked him out.
When he returned to find he was barred, he smashed a window, reached in and tried to open the door from the inside. Ms Lowrie was frightened and called her brother to "come and get her".
Lawyer Ian Milligan described the situation as "a sad matter". He said that up until the incident the couple were on perfectly amenable terms but the relationship had now soured. He added that the accused wanted to "put things right".
Sheriff Kenneth Robb deferred sentence until July 28th for reports.

£650 for street row

A man who committed a breach of the peace and stuggled with police in the early hours of Boxing Day last year was fined £650 at Stranraer Sheriff Court on Monday.
Denzil McMurray, 22, of 25 Mansefield Place, Newton Stewart, admitted shouting and swearing and challenging others to a fight in Victoria Street and to obstucting two police officers by stuggling violently with them at Newton Stewart Police Station the same night.
Depute Fiscal Kay Christie said officers on a mobile partol at around 3am saw the accused "in an intoxicated state". He was spoken several times by the officers before he was seen heading towards other people shouting: "I'll get you, and you, and you."
Defending solicitor Ian Milligan said McMurray had "too much to drink." Sheriff Kenneth Robb noted this type of offence was becoming a "recurring theme" with the accused.

Bar attack deferred

A STRANRAER man who admitted assaulting a man in a pub in the town had his sentence deferred at the sheriff court in Stranraer on Monday.
Noel Cash (31), 35 Whinbank Terrace, admitted attacking Graham Smith at Bar Pazzarello, in George Street, on December 12th last year. He will be sentenced on July 22nd.
His co-accused, 24-year-old James Cloy, of 34 McDowall Drive, Stranraer, pled not guilty to assaulting Mr Smith in the same bar the same evening and his case will be recalled on July 22nd.

Rifle claim denied

TWO Stranraer men appeared at Stranraer Sheriff Court on Monday to deny firing off a rifle and cutting down a fence holding livestock in the north Rhins earlier this year.
Leigh Kyle (20), 14 Bridge Street, and Barry Garrett (24), 49c Agnew Crescent, pled not guilty to discharging a firearm at Dally Bay, Kirkcolm, between February 1st and March 21st, firing bullets into the nearside panel of a vehicle, and to cutting down a stock-proof fence with bolt cutters, removing the posts and burning them, endangering the livestock, at Adrwell Bay, Sandhead, between March 20th and 21st.
Mr Kyle also pled not guilty to five motoring offences allegedly committed in Main Street, Sandhead, on March 20th.
The case will be called at court again on July 22nd.

'Assault' for trial

A trial date was set at Stranraer Sheriff Court on Monday for a Castle Kennedy man who denied assault.
Andrew Jamieson (48), of 5 Airds Crescent, pled not guilty to assaulting John Allison in North Strand Street, Stranraer, on March 15th, by kicking him on the head.
He will stand trial on July 29th.