They include a ‘dangerous predator’ who sexually abused two women over a period of 11 years, and an Amazon driver who stabbed a traffic warden during an argument.
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While, a 24-year-old man who inhaled laughing gas and killed an elderly woman while speeding in his car was jailed for three years and seven months.
And a man who tried to smuggle cocaine worth £5.6 million into Edinburgh Airport was jailed for 10 years last month.
5. Man tried to smuggle cocaine worth £5.6m
A drugs courier who tried to smuggle cocaine worth millions of pounds into Edinburgh was jailed for 10 years last month. Kristopher Purvis, 35, from Durham, attempted to smuggle £5.6 million worth of cocaine inside two large suitcases along with another man in July 2024. Purvis was caught after Border Force officials searched the luggage and found 15 sealed packages containing the Class A drugs. The two men, who were carrying the suitcases and a plastic bag containing four sombreros, were stopped and searched as they made their way through the airport’s nothing-to-declare channel. The court heard how the two men arrived at Edinburgh after a brief layover at Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris following the flight from Mexico. The 15 packages recovered were each found to contain about three kilos of cocaine which had an average purity of 52 per cent. The maximum street value of the total haul was up to £5,640,000. | Ian Georgeson Photo: Stock
6. Drunk driver caused mother and baby to be hit by metal pole
James Morrison, 55, collided with a black Vauxhall van while attempting to overtake a tourist bus after the van had already pulled out and was passing his vehicle. Morrison shunted the black van onto the pavement forcing several workmen to jump to safety before Sayin Torum who was pushing her baby in a pram was struck by a falling metal pole. The woman, who was on holiday in the capital celebrating her wedding anniversary, was rushed to the city’s Royal Infirmary where she received treatment to cuts to her head. Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told the young baby miraculously survived suffering any injuries during the incident at West Port in Edinburgh around 11.10am on October 23, 2023. Prosecutor Matthew Miller told the court Morrison drove away from the scene in his badly damaged Transit van following the near fatal crash but was tracked down to his home around 60 minutes later. Police officers breathalysed the driver and the court heard he registered a reading of 86mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath - almost four times the legal limit of 22mg. Sheriff Alistair Noble sentenced Morrison to carry out 210 hours of unpaid work and banned him from driving for 27 months. He will also have to sit the extended driving test before he is allowed back on the roa | Alexander Lawrie
7. Speeding man killed elderly woman after inhaling laughing gas
A 24-year-old man who inhaled laughing gas and killed an elderly woman while speeding in his car was jailed last month. Washe Manyatelo appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh on Wednesday, April 30, where he was sentenced to three years and seven months in prison for causing the death of Edinburgh pensioner Annette Dixon in 2023. He was also sentenced for a road traffic offence and a drugs offence, having pleaded guilty at a previous hearing. The fatal crash happened at around 3.30pm on Saturday, August, 26, 2023. Manyatelo was driving a black Mercedes C-Class in Stevenson Drive when he lost control of the vehicle and struck Annette Dixon while she was walking. The 70-year-old was seriously injured and taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh where she died a short time later. A search of Manyatelo’s vehicle led to the recovery of deflated balloons and a nitrous oxide canister. | Police Scotland
8. Amazon driver stabbed traffic warden during argument
An Amazon driver who stabbed a traffic warden in a street row over a parking ticket was jailed for 16 months in April. Eamonn Gallagher, 39, lashed out at parking attendant John Watters with a blade that was attached to his keys in a dispute over the ticket. Gallagher was returning to his parked his car after delivering a parcel when he spotted the warden placing a penalty on his windscreen in Edinburgh’s Gorgie Road. He confronted Mr Watters and an argument erupted between the pair during the incident at around 4.25pm on April 15 last year. Mr Watters was rushed to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for treatment to his injuries and officers immediately cordoned off the scene for several hours after the attack. Gallagher, from Blackburn, West Lothian, pleaded guilty to assaulting John Watters to his severe injury and danger to life when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in March. The delivery driver returned to the dock for sentencing on April 22 where Sheriff Wendy Sheehan imposed a 16 month jail sentence. | TSPL Photo: National World