Latest news with #AirdrieSheriffCourt
Daily Record
8 hours ago
- Daily Record
Creep dodges jail after paying 13-year-old girls hundreds of pounds to send him naked photos
Sleazy Martin Murray befriended the youngsters on Snapchat. A creep has dodged jail after paying 13-year-old girls hundreds of pounds to send him naked photos. Sleazy Martin Murray befriended the youngsters on Snapchat. He told one she had a "really pretty" face before demanding pictures of "the real stuff". Murray, 49, of Pretoria Court, Coalburn, admitted getting two girls to send him intimate images between October and November 2020. Airdrie Sheriff Court heard they used the cash to buy clothes. Annette Ward, prosecuting, said one girl, who lived in the south of England, accepted a request from Murray to talk on Snapchat. He told her he was in his 40s and they chatted about school. She then asked him for £50 and in response he sent her £10 via Paypal. Ms Ward stated: "Murray asked what she looked like and she sent him a photo of her face. "He replied 'Wow! You look really pretty.' and asked her for pictures of 'the real stuff'. "He asked her for photos in her bra and then to take off her underwear. "She was naked in some of the photos she sent. He told her she had a nice body and sent heart emojis. "In general he would send money before she sent pictures. Sometimes if she was out shopping she would ask him for money. He would send it and ask for something in return later. "The girl thinks she sent him more than 20 photos and videos and received in the region of £600 from Murray. "She told a friend who added Murray on Snapchat. The friend also sent nude pictures and thinks she got about £70 from him." Ms Ward said the first girl told police she knew what she was doing was wrong and began to worry that someone would find out. The prosecutor added: "Contact came to an end when the second girl's mum found out about it." Murray told police he believed the girls were 16 and claimed he couldn't remember asking them for naked pictures. But he admitted: "I might have had a few drinks and been looking for attention." Defence lawyer Archie Hill said Murray has no history of similar offending and hasn't been in trouble since this came to light in early 2021. Mr Hill told the court: "At the time of these offences the country was subject to a Covid lockdown and restrictions. "His alcohol consumption had increased, he became disinhibited and started surfing the internet. "He is remorseful, ashamed and embarrassed." Social workers say parcel delivery driver Murray poses a high risk of further sex offending, but Sheriff Joseph Hughes told him: "I must consider if there is a prospect of rehabilitation. "The clear intention of the custody threshold test, in my opinion, is to reserve prison for the most serious offences. "A community order with suitably accredited programme requirements designed for people convicted of sexual offences can be a proper alternative to a short, or even moderate, custodial sentence." Murray, whose partner has stood by him, was given a three-year supervision order and must complete the 'Moving Forward, Making Changes' programme. He faces a 7pm-7am curfew under a six-month electronic tagging order and will be on the sex offenders' register for five years. * Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Daily Record
Scots Snapchat sex creep paid underage girls hundreds of pounds for naked photos
Sleazy Martin Murray was spared prison over the sex crime. A creep has dodged jail after paying 13-year-old girls hundreds of pounds to send him naked photos. Sleazy Martin Murray befriended the youngsters on Snapchat, a court heard. He told one she had a "really pretty" face before demanding pictures of "the real stuff". Murray, 49, of Coalburn, Lanarkshire, admitted getting two girls to send him intimate images between October and November 2020. Airdrie Sheriff Court heard they used the cash to buy clothes. Annette Ward, prosecuting, said one girl, who lived in the south of England, accepted a request from Murray to talk on Snapchat. He told her he was in his 40s and they chatted about school. She then asked him for £50 and in response he sent her £10 via Paypal. Ms Ward stated: "Murray asked what she looked like and she sent him a photo of her face. "He replied 'Wow! You look really pretty.' and asked her for pictures of 'the real stuff'. He asked her for photos in her bra and then to take off her underwear. She was naked in some of the photos she sent. He told her she had a nice body and sent heart emojis. "In general he would send money before she sent pictures. Sometimes if she was out shopping she would ask him for money. He would send it and ask for something in return later. "The girl thinks she sent him more than 20 photos and videos and received in the region of £600 from Murray. She told a friend who added Murray on Snapchat. The friend also sent nude pictures and thinks she got about £70 from him." Ms Ward said the first girl told police she knew what she was doing was wrong and began to worry that someone would find out. The prosecutor added: "Contact came to an end when the second girl's mum found out about it." Murray told police he believed the girls were 16 and claimed he couldn't remember asking them for naked pictures. But he admitted: "I might have had a few drinks and been looking for attention." Defence lawyer Archie Hill said Murray has no history of similar offending and hasn't been in trouble since this came to light in early 2021. Mr Hill told the court: "At the time of these offences the country was subject to a Covid lockdown and restrictions. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. "His alcohol consumption had increased, he became disinhibited and started surfing the internet. He is remorseful, ashamed and embarrassed." Social workers say parcel delivery driver Murray poses a high risk of further sex offending, but Sheriff Joseph Hughes told him: "I must consider if there is a prospect of rehabilitation. "The clear intention of the custody threshold test, in my opinion, is to reserve prison for the most serious offences. "A community order with suitably accredited programme requirements designed for people convicted of sexual offences can be a proper alternative to a short, or even moderate, custodial sentence." Murray, whose partner has stood by him, was given a three-year supervision order and must complete the 'Moving Forward, Making Changes' programme. He faces a 7pm-7am curfew under a six-month electronic tagging order and will be on the sex offenders' register for five years.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Yahoo
Woman jailed for sharing baby monkey torture videos
A Scottish mother-of-two involved in a global monkey torture network has been jailed for more than two years. Natalie Herron, 39, from Airdrie in North Lanarkshire, joined online chat groups which encouraged torture of macaques by offenders based in Indonesia. Airdrie Sheriff Court heard how she became a group administrator for the network, which was exposed by a BBC investigation, and shared hundreds of images and videos of the abuse. The group paid for baby long-tailed macaques to be taken from their mothers in Indonesia before they were tortured and killed. WARNING: This article contains distressing details of animal torture. The acts of cruelty included crucifixion, machete attacks and one video that showed a baby monkey being dipped in boiling oil. The court heard how Herron had made contact online with Michael Macartney, the US-based ringleader of the network who used the alias "The Torture King". Global monkey torture ring exposed by BBC This is the first time someone has been sentenced in Scotland for cruelty that took place abroad. Investigators from the National Crime Agency alerted Police Scotland and a raid on Herron's home in 2022 discovered an iPhone with 1,084 images and videos of monkey torture. Investigators discovered 4,000 messages on a WhatsApp group which had been sent by Herron discussing torture and hatred of the animals. Messages included one that said: "I am shocked how easily the drill went through the skull, it was like butter." Another message read: "Trying to find a video where they will kill the mum and the babies watch." Herron was sentenced to two years and three months in prison. She had earlier admitted two charges of possessing and distributing obscene material, namely videos depicting animal torture, between October 2021 and September 2022 at her home address. She admitted a further charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause fear or alarm by sending messages to various online and social media groups which described and promoted animal torture. The court was told she made payments to Macartney but she claimed it was not for the videos but to "help him". Members of the online group, who claimed they were angered at the monkeys destroying land in Indonesia, voted on proposed methods of torture. Nicky Matteo, defending, said: "In all the years I have been practising I have not seen a case like this. It has not been a pleasant experience. "She [Herron] has had horrific problems in life and she built up a connection with other group members. "She was trying to ingratiate herself with other members, it was a false sense of escapism. "She is no longer the person that was responsible for sending those messages. She recognises the severity of it." Sentencing Herron, Sheriff Derek Livingston said: "The fact you not only joined these groups but then helped to facilitate them only helped to increase the animals' suffering." The BBC investigation uncovered the network that began life on YouTube before it moved to private groups on the messaging app Telegram. Macartney, 51, was jailed last year after pleading guilty in the US state of Virginia to conspiracy to create and distribute animal cruelty videos. He was sentenced to three years and four months in jail. A month later, Adriana Orme, 56, from Upton-upon-Severn, and Holly Le Gresley, 37, from Kidderminster, were jailed after admitting being part of the global network. Police Scotland officers said it was one of the most horrific cases they had dealt with and the material was like nothing they had seen before. Det Sgt Karen Murray said: "This was a long and complex investigation which involved a number of organisations including the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) and was the first of its kind in the UK. "Thanks to the work of these organisations, Herron will now face the consequences of her actions which contributed to the cruel torture and immense suffering of a number of innocent animals." She added: "This was one of the most disturbing and graphic cases we have worked on and we hope this sentence shows that even though the cruelty took place abroad, that these types of crimes will not be tolerated and we will use all the tools at our disposal to hold people accountable." Det Insp Mark Harrison, from the National Wildlife Crime Unit, said: "This investigation is truly shocking and unsettling. "The people involved are not just motivated by money, this is also about getting some sort of gratification from watching animals being tortured and then sharing those images with others." Procurator fiscal Faye Cook said: "The videos and images that Natalie Herron bought and shared online are horrendous. "These animals were shown to be suffering extreme pain. This has been a distressing case for the prosecution team and police, but we have held Natalie Herron accountable. "Individuals involved in the distribution of graphic and obscene online content depicting violent torture should be forewarned that this behaviour is not only repellent, but is against the law and will be prosecuted." Anyone who has any concerns around such behaviour is asked to contact Police Scotland. US ringleader in global monkey torture network sent to jail Women jailed over sadistic monkey torture videos
Daily Record
06-06-2025
- Daily Record
Footage captures terrifying football thugs in bar rampage as fans now banned from games
Shocking video footage showed bottles being launched into the bar where St Johnstone fans had gathered before a Scottish Cup. Two thugs who helped ambush rival football fans in a pub have been banned from attending games for two years. A court heard Airdrie supporter Cameron Patey "got a buzz" out of causing trouble. Shocking video footage showed bottles being thrown into a bar in the Lanarkshire town where St Johnstone fans had gathered before a Scottish Cup. Airdrie Sheriff Court heard a group of home fans confronted the Perth side's supporters and a fight spilled on to the street. Patey, 22, Ryan Lawrence, 29, and Nathan Dunsmore, 26, admitted causing a breach of the peace by fighting, shouting and swearing on January 20 last year. Annette Ward, prosecuting, said Airdrie fans were seen on CCTV leaving another pub and heading for the West End Bar before the match. She told the court: "They had their hoods up and their faces partially covered with scarves. The three accused were part of the group. A large group of St Johnstone fans were already inside the West End Bar. "As soon as the Airdrie supporters arrived there was an altercation that turned into a scuffle between the two groups. This quickly spilled on to the street and in the course of that an individual was assaulted by two unidentified males." The court heard that a fourth Airdrie fan was seen on CCTV picking up two bottles and throwing them into the pub. He was also charged but has since died. Patey has a previous conviction which resulted in him being given a football banning order. Lawrence also has football-related previous convictions. After the brawl, bar manager Scott Rae, 47, told the Record he was lucky to escape injury after being hit by a bottle as he tried to eject troublemakers. Scott said: "Most of the people in the pub at the time were Tartan Army fans who are friends of mine. I had invited them to come to watch the match." The trouble was linked to a tongue in cheek message posted by a St Johnstone fan who tweeted: "Any Airdrie supporters wanting a square go should come to the West End Bar. Bring your mates - you'll need them." The court heard that, when asked about his role in the violence, Patey told a social worker: "It's an escape. It gives me a buzz." But defence lawyer Tony Linden said: "He now describes his conduct as pathetic. His days of attending football matches and seeking out trouble are gone. He plans to leave the Airdrie area and has an offer of employment with a starting salary of £40,000." Fraser McKinnon, defending Lawrence, said he accepted responsibility for his behaviour, but the lawyer added: "From the CCTV, it appears his involvement was at the lower end of the scale." Nicky Matteo, for Dunsmore, told the court: "This happened at a time when he was drinking and taking drugs to excess." Sheriff Joseph Hughes imposed two-year football banning orders on Patey and Lawrence, both of Airdrie. These will cover all regulated games in the UK and the pair are also banned from watching televised football in licensed premises. The sheriff said: "I'm satisfied this offence was related to the football match that day. It matters not if it happened before the game started. It is appropriate to impose these banning orders to prevent violence or disorder at, or in connection with, football matches." Patey was also warned that he must behave himself over the next nine months while Lawrence will be under supervision for two years and electronically tagged for nine months, meaning he's confined to his home between 7pm and 7am each day. Sentence on Dunsmore, who is in custody on other matters, was deferred until December.
Daily Record
04-06-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Good Samaritan had two teeth knocked out by drug addict he'd tried to help
Scott Kilbride, 30, lashed out when he was caught stealing the man's bank card. A Good Samaritan had two teeth knocked out when he was attacked in his own home by a drug addict he'd tried to help. Scott Kilbride lashed out when he was caught stealing the man's bank card. Airdrie Sheriff Court heard he knocked the householder to the floor then stamped twice on his head. Kilbride, 30, appeared from custody and admitted assaulting the man to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement while on bail for other matters. It happened at a flat in King Street, Airdrie, on January 22. He also admitted stealing the victim's bank card. Annette Ward, prosecuting, told the court: "The victim was in his bedroom around 9am when he heard a noise in the kitchen. "He went to investigate and noticed some disarray. He then went to the living room and found Kilbride hiding behind the television. "Kilbride is known to him as the victim is aware of him having a drug addiction and has tried to support him. "The victim asked him why he was in the property and Kilbride said he had nowhere to go. "The victim had noticed his bank card was missing and asked for it back. "Kilbride then punched him on the face and head a number of times, causing him to fall. "While he was on the floor Kilbride stamped on his head twice." The victim managed to get to his feet and fled from his home. Meanwhile, Kilbride climbed out of a kitchen window and made off, but police traced him a short time later. He was in possession of the victim's bank card. The court heard the victim suffered cuts to his lips and lost two teeth. Sheriff Tony McGlennan deferred sentence on Kilbride, who admitted previous convictions, until next month and remanded him in custody. *Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here. And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here.
