No second chance for teenager after Inverness and Dingwall incidents

A teenager's year-long crime spree came to an end in early May when he breached a bail curfew and was remanded in custody.

Connor Stewart, who previously lived in Dingwall and Inverness but no longer had a fixed address, began his string of offenses on May 30, 2023 at Morrison's supermarket in Inverness.

Inverness Sheriff Court heard the 19-year-old was drunk and stumbling around the store when he was approached by a member of staff who he punched in the head and attempted to kick him before fleeing towards Millburn Road.

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Arrested and placed in a police vehicle, during the ride he spat on the arm of a police officer, fiscal deputy Shamilah Ghafar told Sheriff Robert Frazer.

A week later, on June 7, Stewart, while acting with a minor, stole a cash register from the Kingsmills Hotel, before damaging the door of a cafe in the city's Crown Avenue by giving him kicking and hitting her repeatedly.

On January 9 this year he behaved in a threatening or abusive manner and made offensive remarks to police who were called to a separate incident in Tulloch Square, Dingwall.

The court heard Stewart played loud music in his flat and appeared at his window while police were dealing with an emergency nearby and acted in a racist manner towards them.

He was asked to desist but he refused and continued to behave, Ms Ghafar added.

Stewart previously pleaded guilty to all offenses and sentencing was deferred due to a background report.

Defense lawyer John MacColl said his client would be homeless when released and came from a broken home, although his mother and father still supported him.

“The recurring theme here is alcohol abuse and, to some extent, drug abuse,” he said. “But there is real remorse in the report and he told the social worker that was not who he really was.

“He told me he saw life differently and needed to find a job.

“He told me he realized there was more to life 'than sitting around with a bunch of idiots drinking and doing drugs.'

“That shows me a significant level of maturity.”

Mr MacColl suggested a community payback order as a possible arrangement, but Sheriff Frazer decided to send Stewart into custody for nine months, after reading the report which said the teenager was already subject to an order community reimbursement.

He told her: “You were given the opportunity for a community elimination and you failed to take advantage of it.

“You were ordered to work unpaid hours and you didn’t do any.”

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