Gordon Currie

Julia Gavrilova admitted at Perth Sheriff Court to assaulting her partner, Daniel McRitchie, by striking him on the head with a frying pan and biting his lip in Rattray on August 3. She has a previous conviction for domestic assault against the same victim. Sentencing was deferred for social work background reports, with the sheriff also considering whether to impose a non-harassment order. Her solicitor said she had experienced postnatal depression and was receiving medical assistance.

Lesleyann McLean, 44, admitted failing to tell the Department for Work and Pensions that she had resumed living with her husband while claiming Universal Credit as a single person between July 2020 and November 2023. She fraudulently received £27,908, which is being recovered from her benefits at £5 per month, meaning repayment would take more than 465 years. Perth Sheriff Court imposed a 12-month curfew instead of imprisonment. Her solicitor cited financial pressure, domestic abuse, health difficulties and support for her son’s drug-related debts as mitigating factors, while the sheriff stressed the wider impact of benefits fraud.

Jennifer Mitchell admitted assaulting her partner, Graham Whyte, with an electric drill at a cottage near New Alyth in April 2025, causing head injuries and endangering his life. She told police that voices in her head had compelled the attack, but psychiatric assessment found no abnormality of thought and deemed her fit. The court deferred sentencing pending reports and continued her bail.