These criminals were found guilty in October of crimes including murder, drug smuggling and speeding.
A 48-year-old man who carried out an ‘extremely vicious’ knife attack in Edinburgh was jailed for nine years. And, a ‘dangerous and controlling man’ who murdered his wife on New Year’s Day was jailed for life.
Two criminals were in the dock for attempting to smuggle drugs through Edinburgh Airport, while a former Hibs legend was found guilty of speeding on his motorcycle.
5. Jealous thug jailed
A jealous thug who chased his terrified partner with an axe before smashing up her car with the bladed weapon was last month jailed and banned from contacting her for 25 years. Bogdan-Gabriel Colt pursued the woman while carrying the axe along an Edinburgh street after assaulting her and accusing her of cheating on him during the couple’s two year relationship. Colt tracked the woman down to a friend’s home in the city after he had planted a bugging device on her vehicle and the attack was only halted when a concerned neighbour called in the police. Armed officers swooped on the area in the city’s Leith area and the 39-year-old Romanian was arrested and taken into custody on August 24 last year. Colt and the woman had been in a relationship for two years after meeting at a care home in Fife, where she worked as a senior nurse and he was employed as a care assistant. He denied the attack but was found guilty by a jury of engaging in a course of abusive conduct by repeatedly calling the woman names, accusing her of cheating and tracking her car and chasing her while armed with the axe. On October 23, Colt, who is known as Gabe, was jailed for 22 months and was told he will be supervised for a further 12 months following his release from custody. The brute was also served with a non-harassment order that bans him from having any contact with his victim for the next 25 years. | The Scotsman
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6. Badger botherer
A callous pensioner who was caught encouraging his pet dog to enter live badger setts has been ordered to wear an electronic tag and stay within his home overnight. Peter Marshall was spotted allowing his terrier to enter the setts on repeated occasions at two secluded rural locations in Gifford and a Haddington in East Lothian last year. The 77-year-old was snared when footage of his activities was recorded on a wildlife camera that had been set up by a private landowner near to the village of Gifford. Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told the pensioner was also spotted “hiding” behind a tree by a concerned walker while his dog bothered the protected badgers on a separate occasion. The landowner handed the footage he had captured over to the police and Marshall was later arrested and charged. The pensioner pleaded guilty to interfering with badgers setts by causing his dog to enter them with reckless disregard his actions would have relevant consequences during a court appearance last month. The offences committed between February and April last year were prosecuted under Section 3 of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. | Alexander Lawrie
7. Student caught with cannabis haul
Student Kertania Odususi travelled to the Scottish capital from Thailand with a huge consignment of the drug stuffed into two suitcases in March last year. The trial was told Odususi - who is studying Criminology at London Metropolitan University - had flown from Thailand to Doha and taken a Qatar Airways flight to Edinburgh on March 16 last year. She passed through passport control but was stopped by custom officials after picking up her luggage. She told the officers she had packed the two suitcases herself but did not possess a key to open them. The court heard the Border Force officers used a bolt cutter to prise open the cases and discovered the packages of cannabis inside. The officer said each package weighed around half a kilo and the drugs had a street value of £200,000. Odususi told the jury she had been put in touch with a man who was arranging the flights and the exchange of suitcases by a “close friend” in London. She broke down several times in the witness box and told the jury she had been “naive” and “stupid” for agreeing to the venture but denied having any knowledge of the drug stash. Following the evidence the jury took around 60 minutes to return majority not proven verdicts on both charges and Odususi walked free from the dock on October 16. | Alexander Lawrie
8. Cannabis haul in airport suitcase
Tyler Stechling, pictured outside Edinburgh Sheriff Court, was caught attempting to smuggle close to £100,000 of cannabis through Edinburgh Airport in January. The unemployed 20-year-old agreed to carry out the drug deal in return for a financial payment and had attempted to transport 40 vacuum-sealed packages containing 24 kilograms of the drug. Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told Stechling agreed to fly to to Thailand to pick up the drug consignment before travelling to Dubai in the UAE then on to Edinburgh. The court was told customs officials discovered the haul after carrying out “a routine examination” of luggage from the Emirates flight at around 7.30pm on January 17 this year. The court was told the suitcase was eventually forced opened and found to contain just one towel along with 40 sealed packages containing the cannabis. The fiscal depute said the weight of the drugs amounted to 23.8 kilos and the total value amounted to £90,440. The court was told the value of the drugs would be significantly more if split into smaller street deals. Stechling, of Burnley, Lancashire, pled guilty to being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of controlled drugs at Edinburgh Airport this year when he appeared at the city’s sheriff court earlier this year. On October 20, Sheriff Christopher Dickson sentenced Stechling to a custodial term of 13 months. | Alexander Lawrie