Stalker terrorised ex with hate campaign
A stalker businessman branded his ex wife a “people trafficker” while terrorising her with hundreds of emails following the breakdown of their marriage.
James McColm, 72, of Ayr, made Xu Meiqin’s life a misery by labelling her a criminal in venomous messages sent to other parties while they thrashed out their messy divorce settlement.
His 61- year- old ex wife told the Record she was left feeling “scared and ashamed” as her ex husband developed an “obsession” with trying to ruin her reputation.
But despite being convicted of the crime, the unrepentant business development manager insisted he was the real victim - saying the messages were the result of stress brought about by the financial impact of the split.
He has vowed to appeal after he was hit with an immediate 10year non harassment order - one of the maximum orders that can be imposed.
In one vexatious email sent to Meiqin and her lawyer Elizabeth Welsh, McColm referred to his wife as “wicked”, a “liar” and “that nasty piece of work client”.
He also sent a letter to a man who bought a property from Meiqin branding her an “embezzler, fraudster, people trafficker and thief ” as well as a “serial adulterer” with an “insatiable love of money”.
He was convicted of sending emails to his ex wife’s lawyer which could cause Meiqin fear alarm between May and December 2018 and making allegations about her in an email to her house buyer.
After trial at Ayr Sheriff Court last month, McColm was convicted under both stalking and domestic abuse legislation.
But his ex fears the punishment does not reflect the severity of the crime after his sentence was deferred for six months to allow him to be of good behaviour
Meiqin, who met McColm when he was in China on business and moved to Scotland to marry him in 1998, said: “He had been controlling my life for years. I had been tolerating it and trying to keep the marriage going but eventually I decided to leave.
“He has been mentally and emotionally stalking me since 2014 when I left the marriage.”
The mum said she almost suffered a breakdown due to the constant barrage of emails McColm sent as they tried to settle their divorce.
She said: “He reported me to the authorities saying I was a human trafficker. It made me very scared and very ashamed, stressed and anxious.
“I worried people would believe what he said. I had to see a doctor and a psychologist.
“Anybody he saw me associated with, he would write to them. I eventually became very lonely because people were scared of him writing to them also.
“It was an obsession. Christmas, birthdays and Chinese new year. Any important occasions he would write to me. Sometimes indirect, sometimes direct.
“He would write to me four or five times a day and copy in many other people, even the police.”
Meiqin said the turning point for her was when a friend introduced her to the work of a local charity, Action Against Stalking ( AAS), which allowed her to understand that she was being stalked.
She said: “It was as though a light went on. I felt validated and with AAS’ help, empowered to pursue a criminal prosecution to stop him.
“Even in court he had no recognition of wrongdoing. He thinks he is always right.
“I’m trying to move forward but I’m still recovering from the abuse.
“It’s taken a very long time and a lot of misery along the way but I’ve finally been vindicated. Now all that’s needed is for the Judiciary to serve the commensurate sentence.”
When we approached McColm at his home in Ayr he said he wrote the emails after “years of stress” caused by the financial implications of his divorce, saying: “I am the victim”.
He told us he started his career in plumbing and carved a lucrative career travelling the globe as a consultant but said he had been crippled financially by the split.
McColm told us he had sent “probably 200” emails concerning his ex wife and their divorce.
He said: “I was representing myself and was allowed to communicate with Elizabeth Welsh.
“Those emails were cherrypicked and there was no malicious intention. It was a warning to these two women that if they continued telling lies and perjury in court they will have something to answer for.
“The court process and civil action was what depressed me so much I had to get help from my doctors.
“People don’t know the whole foundation of this whole thing.
“These people are out to destroy me. I will not be destroyed as long as I live. As
long as I’ve got breath I won’t be destroyed.
“I’ve done so much here. You can ask anyone who knows me here apart from these poisonous people.”
He added: “I’m a feminist there’s no way I can do any damage to a woman.”
The businessman also stated he had issued 12 complaints to police regarding their handling of the case and had instructed a solicitor to appeal his conviction.
He said: “I’m disappointed in the system.”
McColm will return to court for sentencing in April next year.