Trio deny assault

THREE Minnigaff men have appeared in court charged with assaulting a man on a street.
Bill Jolly (20) of Creebridge and Kevin Ross (20) and Ronald Ross (22), both of Holmpark Crescent plead not guilty on Monday to punching John McVittie on the head, knocking him to the ground and repeatedly punching and kicking him on the head and body.
The incident is said to have occurred on Arthur Street in Newton Stewart on March 29th.
The trio will stand trial on September 9th

Theft charges denied

A WIGTOWN man has denied using a bank card in someone else's name to withdraw money from a bank.
Alister McCleary (21) of Seaview will stand trial in September charged with various offences claiming he used the card, in the name of David Auld, between December 12th and January 7th to withdraw a total of £350 from a cashpoint at the Bank of Scotland, North Main Street, Wigtown.
He also denies using the card to pay for goods at the town's Co-Op store to the value of £10.40.

Community service for drug offence

A MAN found guilty of supplying Heroin at Stranraer's Stena ferry port has been given 200 hours of community service as punishment.
Sheriff Tom Millar told Ivor Evans (27) from Southampton that his involvement in the crime wasn't much so he would take the unusual step of avoiding dishing out a prison sentence.
Evans was instead given 200 hours community service.

Denies losing temper

A MAN charged with threatening a woman and smashing photo frames has denied the charges against him.
Robert Lambourn (50) of Main Street, Kirkinner will stand trial in September charged with threatening his partner with violence on July 28th.
It is claimed Lambourn smashed photo frames and a mirror and brandished a knife in the house on Main Street.

Assaulted child

A GIRL from Newton Stewart appeared in court on Tuesday after assaulting a 14-year old friend in Creetown.
Sharon McPhilips (16) of Duncree Terrace admitted the charge, which took place at Crispin Street on April 5th after she and her friends had been talking.
Fiscal depute Kay Jardine said that McPhilips and the victim along with another girl were sitting in the town talking when the third girl began teasing the victim about her being from Stranraer.
At 9pm the girl decided to leave and made her way to a bus stop but McPhilips and the pal followed her and grabbed her hair, pulling her to the ground and shouting at her for allegedly chatting up her boyfriend.
McPhilips, who was just 15 at the time, then repeatedly punched the girl's head and kicked her on he body.
She and her pal then left the scene, leaving the victim distressed and when police were called they noted the victim had abdominal pains and a cut to her elbow.
Lawyer Monique Nicholson said that McPhilips, a 5th year pupil at the Douglas Ewart High School, has issues with her temper which she needs to address.
She added that appearing in court had been a harsh lesson to her and that she realises she shouldn't have done what she did.
Sheriff Iain Fleming decided to defer sentence so that McPhilips could prove she was able to stay out of trouble.
He added that she may be required to pay compensation after six months.
She will be sentenced in February 2009.

Jail for theft

A MAN has been jailed for stealing alcohol worth £7.99 from a Newton Stewart shop.
Danny Graham (21) whose address is given as Benyellary on York Road in the town has been banged up for 40 days after pleading guilty to taking the drink from Somerfield on June 10th.
Graham then failed to show up in court to face the charge, instead he "stuck his had in the sand" according to his lawyer.
Margot Nicol said: "Mr Graham was scared at the prospect of going to prison."
Sheriff Iain Fleming imposed 20 days' imprisonment on each charge.

Deferred sentence for flasher

A FIFTY-year old man who exposed himself to a 12-year old boy in Stranraer has had his sentence further deferred for good behaviour.
William Wallace, of Whitson Avenue, Stranraer admitted the offence which took place last June at Backrampart in the town.
His lawyer Margot Nicol said that Wallace lost his mother last month and may turn back to alcohol, as he has done in the past during times of stress.
Sheriff Iain fleming deferred sentence for four months for Wallace to be of good behaviour and ensure he doesn't start abusing alcohol again.

Crashed on dangerous road

A MOTORIST who failed to keep a lookout when pulling out of a junction, resulting in a crash, will appear in court in September.
George Halliday (30) from Dumfries admitted careless driving by causing the crash at Machermore on the A75 near Newton Stewart on April 25th.
He will make a personal appearance for sentencing on September 9th.

Damaged car of ex

A MAN who damaged the car of his ex-partner has been told to save up for compensation.
Douglas Dougan (47) of Ryan Bay Gardens, Innermessan admitted snapping off the aerial of the car, removing four tyre valves and bending back window wipers on his ex's car as it was parked for the night.
The damage amounted to £100, according to the fiscal.
Sheriff Iain Fleming said he would defer sentence until November for good behaviour but warned Dougan that he should save up some cash towards compensating the car's owner.

Threatened to shoot officer

A MAN who threatened to shoot a police officer and made racist remarks towards him has had his sentence deferred.
Sheriff Iain Fleming decided to call for background reports on Colin Findlay (30) of Lisburn, Northern Ireland after he plead guilty to threatening the officer during a journey in a police vehicle in Stranraer.
The charge also states that Findlay uttered racist remarks to the officer during the incident on October 30th last year.
Sheriff Iain Fleming called for background reports and will sentence Findlay on September 23rd.

Pair slashed tyres

TWO girls who slashed the car tyres of a woman in Stranraer have been fined and ordered to pay compensation.
Stacey Lees (21) of High Street, Stranraer and pal Lana Varley (26) of Main Street, Kirkcolm plead guilty on Tuesday of causing damage worth £250 to the car when it was parked at Clenoch Street on July 10th.
The court heard that Varley had been in a relationship with the boyfriend of the car's owner and that there was some "ill-feeling" between the two.
Fiscal depute Kay Jardine said that the morning after the attack on her car, the victim left her house to go to work at 7.20am and noticed the tyres were deflated.
She took the car to a garage who told her they had been slashed with a knife and she then noticed a deep scratch along the side and rear of the paintwork on the car.
Lawyer Paul Feeney explained that Lees became involved in the incident because she was Varley's pal.
Varley's lawyer, Tony McAndrew, said Varley had ill feeling towards the car owner which had stemmed from a dispute over her child's residence.
Sheriff Iain Fleming fined each £100 and ordered them to pay £125 each in compensation.