GO IN CEASE
Stalker who harassed church minister for four years is ordered to leave him alone or be jailed
A STALKER obsessed with a church minister was yesterday warned to stay away from him – or face jail. Lisa Hughes, 53, was given a 10-year nonharassment order after a four-year stalking campaign against the Rev Kevin Francis. Hughes emailed and texted the Anglican cleric repeatedly and sometimes asked for money or to meet him. She was previously convicted of stalking him in October 2012. After that, he blocked her emails but when she later texted him, he discovered that she had continued to send him emails.
Glasgow Sheriff Court was told that Francis’s priority was for her to be given as long a no-contact order as possible.
Hughes, from Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, pled guilty to stalking Francis between April 2012 and November 2016.
Sheriff Tony Kelly told her: “In light of your previous conviction, the court could send you to custody.”
The sheriff said he would instead impose a community payback order with the condition that she was under the supervision of social workers for two years.
He added that his non-harassment order underpinned the importance of her staying away from the clergyman.
Defence lawyer John Good said Hughes formed an “intellectual attachment”, not emotional, with her victim. He added: “She’s still coming to terms with the importance of the case and activities which she undertook.”
The lawyer added the messages Hughes sent were “erratic and episodic” and she had a number of difficulties, including illnesses and taking strong medication, going on in her life at the time.
In the light of your previous conviction, I could send you to custody SHERIFF