There were a number of Highland court cases recently.
Here’s our recap of some of the cases that made the headlines.
Toddler’s death circumstances reach Scotland’s highest civil court
A GP has failed to overturn a sheriff’s finding that a baby girl’s death from a rare cancer might have been avoided if she referred the infant to specialist care.
Dr Karen Duncan’s lawyers asked Court of Session judge Lady Haldane to overturn a determination made by a sheriff following a fatal accident inquiry.
Jessi-Jean MacLennan was 20 months old when she died of Wilms tumour, a rare kidney cancer found in children.
The medic’s legal team addressed Scotland’s highest civil court following an opinion published in December 2023 by Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald who was sitting at Inverness Sheriff Court.
Read more here.
Inverness man threatened ex partner’s Stornoway family
The former partner of an Inverness woman threatened to “beat her up” and “cut up” her family members following the break-up of their 11-year relationship.
Craig MacLeod, of Thornbush Road, Inverness went to the Merkinch home of the woman and her new partner four months after the couple split up in February 2022 and began shouting and swearing outside, demanding to see his son.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that he was asked to leave because he was intoxicated but fiscal depute Pauline Gair said that he returned 30 minutes later, pushed his way into the house and directed threats at her new partner saying “he would come back and finish him off and that he was going to get a knife.
“He then approached his ex and got into her face, saying: ‘I could easily beat you up now since we are not together. I could easily finish you off.’ He was asked to leave by an elderly neighbour.”
Read more here.
Inverness man told to learn from ‘significant distress and hurt’ caused by sexual assault
A 22-year-old Inverness man was banned for two years from contacting a woman he sexually assaulted in the city during the summer.
Dylan Macdonald, of Drumdevan Road, was appearing for sentence at Inverness Sheriff Court after the case had been deferred previously for a background report.
Macdonald, who was a first offender, had admitted assaulting the woman in a house in the Inshes area of the city on August 19 last year by kissing her on the shoulder and breast, and touching her private parts.
Defending, Marc Dickson told Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald: “He bitterly regrets his involvement in this.”
Read more here.
Inverness bus passenger scared by drunk man who later assaulted police officer
A bus journey through Inverness became a terrifying experience for a woman passenger after a drunk man got off the vehicle.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that the woman had intended disembarking at Raigmore Hospital but changed her mind when 43-year-old Brian Robertson alighted first and then stared at her through the window.
Fiscal depute Pauline Gair told Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald: “He put his face up to the glass and drew his fingers across his neck and pointed at her. This left her in a state of fear and she contacted police.”
Robertson, designated as an Inverness prisoner, was handcuffed and put in a police van. He later threatened and assaulted an officer.
Read more here.
Inverness dealer attacked after his dog bites Fort William man on buttock as he tries to buy drugs
A Fort William man who tried to buy drugs in Inverness attacked his dealer when he was denied his illegal purchase.
John MacGillivray, of Lundavra Road, was in the Highland capital and met his supplier and his associates in a lane near Waterloo Place on October 3 last year, Inverness Sheriff Court was told.
But he got nothing in return when he handed over the cash and was bitten on a buttock by the dealer’s dog.
Defence solicitor Gerry Sweeney told Sheriff Ian Cruickshank that this prompted his client to wrestle the dog lead from the dealer and assault him with it.
Read more here.