Neighbours feud boiled over after accused came home from funeral

A long-running neighbour dispute came to a head when one of the two men involved assaulted the other.
Bricklayer Laurence Begg, 59, pleaded guilty at Wick Sheriff Court, yesterday, and was fined £200.
The accused, a first offender, of 8 Stroma Place, Thurso, had been drinking when he arrived home after attending a funeral, on March 20, and "completely lost his temper" on encountering Glenn Hardman whom he forced to the ground and repeatedly punched.
Sheriff Andrew Berry commented it was a pity seeing a man of Begg's age in court and expressed the hope that the accused now appreciated that violence was not the way to solve a grievance

Drunk woman was supported by a lamp-post

POLICE arrested a woman who was so drunk she had to lean against a lamp-post to stay erect.
Ami Macdonald, 30, struggled after she was taken to a hospital in Thurso for a check-up, on March 16 and kicked a constable at Wick police station, later.
Macdonald, of 15 East End, Wick, admitted charges of assault, resisting the police and and having been drunk and incapable.
Sentence was deferred for four months to allow the accused, who was said to be getting help for her drinking, to demonstrate she can behave.

New Year not off to a happy start for drinks driver

A CAITHNESS driver has been fined £400 and banned for a year after admitting a drinks driving charge.
Raymond Somerville, 21, pleaded guilty..
The offence occurred at the hamlet of Haster, early on New Year's Day.
Somerville, of The Croft, Achorn Road, Dunbeath village, was found to have a reading of 114 milligrams - the legal limit is 80 mgs.