Man caught with indecent photographs of children over 25-year period avoids jail

A 54-year-old man caught in possession of indecent photographs of children over a 25-year period has avoided a prison sentence.

Martin Jowett previously pled guilty to the offence, which happened at an address in Eshiels near Peebles, between April 27th, 1998 and June 22nd last year.

The number of images involved wasn't revealed in open court during either of his two court appearances, but his solicitor acknowledged it met the threshold for custody.

Jowett - now living in Maybole, South Ayrshire - arrived with his bag packed at Selkirk Sheriff Court earlier (Monday).

Sheriff Kevin McCarron said only his lack of previous offending and favourable background reports had spared him a custodial sentence.

Jowett's instead been ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for three years, as part of a three-year Community Payback Order.

Petition

A 33-year-old man's appeared in court in the Borders - charged with the sexual assault of two children under the age of 13.

Willum Webster is alleged to have committed the offences at an address in Galashiels between 2017 and 2018.

He made no plea when he appeared in private at Selkirk Sheriff Court earlier.

Webster, who gave an address in Edinburgh, was committed for further examination and released on bail.

Bit 'girlfriend'

A 55-year-old man has admitted biting his "girlfriend" on the head at an address in Galashiels earlier this month (June 4th) - to her injury.

Sentence has been deferred on Richard Cleghorn at Selkirk Sheriff Court until next month for background reports.

And Cleghorn, who gave an address at Maxmill Park in Kelso, has been banned from approaching the woman meantime. 

Compensation

An uninsured driver who knocked down a pedestrian in Galashiels has been banned from the road for 12 months and ordered to pay his victim £2,400 compensation.

Selkirk Sheriff Court heard Kairo Kennedy - 19 at the time - didn't see the woman crossing the road in Balmoral Avenue, at its junction with Meigle Street, on November 6th last year - because his window was unclear.

Now 20, his solicitor, Mat Patrick, said his client "feels terrible" and "repeatedly apologised" to the woman, who suffered a double fracture and required an operation on her leg.

Bottle attack

A 28-year-old man from Galashiels who struck another man on the head with a glass bottle - leaving him with a permanent scar - has been given a four-month home curfew.

Jordan Whittaker was found guilty of assaulting his victim in the town's High Street car park on December 17th, 2021, following a two-day trial at Selkirk Sheriff Court.

Sheriff Kevin McCarron said the sentence - which means he must stay at home between the hours of 9pm and 7am - is a direct alternative to custody.

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