Contact ban order for ex-boyfriend

A 31-year-old man plagued his ex-girlfriend with a series of threatening texts and telephone calls after they split up.

And despite being told that she didn’t want anything to do with him, he maintained his terrifying and offensive bombardment.

Helder Santos, formerly of The Old Dairy House, Meikleour, was told by Sheriff William Wood: “This was a substantial catalogue of unacceptable behaviour which certainly amounts to stalking.”

To protect the female from further unwanted attention, a non-harassment order was imposed, banning him from contacting or communicating with her for the next two years.

The accused, now living at Burnside, Aberfeldy, also narrowly escaped a jail term when he appeared for sentence at Perth Sheriff Court.

Instead, he will have to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work and will be supervised by a social worker for the next year.

As part of his community payback order, he will have to attend a positive relationships programme and take part in group work.

He admitted that between October 31 and November 7, 2016, he engaged in a course of conduct which caused his former partner fear or alarm.

He repeatedly telephoned her from his home, left voicemails in which he shouted and swore and made offensive and threatening remarks. He also sent her texts of a similar nature.

Depute fiscal Robbie Brown said they had been in a relationship up until March, 2016.

“That terminated although they remained in contact for some time afterwards.”

On one occasion, he tried to contact her by phone about nine different times, leaving messages in broken English.

She later spoke to him on the phone and indicated she didn’t want to meet him.

But he then sent a “number” of text messages the same day.

“Eventually the complainer had enough and contacted the police,” explained Mr Brown.

A solicitor for the accused said: “He accepts the terms of the communications and appreciates they were unacceptable.

“He lost his employment as a result of being arrested.”

The lawyer added that Santos was now in a new relationship.

Sheriff Wood, who noted the accused has a previous conviction under the Communications Act, said he would “mark the court’s displeasure” by imposing the Community Payback Order, a direct alternative to prison.