Lord Bonomy warned the 28-year-old from Oban that if he breached the conditions of probation or got into further trouble he would be brought back before the court and sentenced for the offence.

BBC: Robber said sorry during axe raid in Argyll shop

"Suspected criminals would be taken to court, and the guilty would be sentenced and taught a lesson, " he said.

BBC: Ethiopian students released

In the Netherlands, Mohammed Bouyeri, who had confessed in court to killing Theo van Gogh , a controversial film-maker, and said he would be ready to do it again, was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

ECONOMIST: Suicide bombings in Egypt

Our correspondent says that if Mr Lieberman is found guilty and sentenced to more than three months in prison, he would be forced to spend seven years out of government and give up his parliamentary seat.

BBC: Israel ex-foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman on trial

He will be sentenced next month, and his defence lawyer said he hoped his client would be placed in a private facility that offers therapy and schooling, rather than a juvenile detention centre.

BBC: Boy found responsible for killing neo-Nazi father

In its unanimous ruling, the European Court said that "diplomatic assurances" from the United States that the death penalty would not be sought in Harkins' case "were clear and sufficient to remove any risk" that he could be sentenced to death if extradited.

BBC: Phillip Harkins