Tree surgeon stalked ex-business partner

ATREE surgeon stalked his former business partner and made him so terrified he moved house. Jordan Grant, 24, targeted his former partner Christopher Mitchell after he left the business.

Between February and June 2019, he bombarded Mr Mitchell with abuse which included making threatening phone calls to his wife and visiting his parent’s home looking for him.

In one of the chilling calls, Grant stated: “You should be scared, because I’m scaring myself.”

Grant pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to stalking Mr Mitchell and sending offensive, indecent, menacing messages by means of public electronic communications.

The court heard the two friends, of Rutherglen, set up landscaping business

Glasgow Gardening Maintenance Ltd in July 2018.

Mr Mitchell and Grant, who is a qualified tree surgeon, were carrying out small gardening work in the local area. Both saw a potential to make this full-time employment.

The company performed well for a number of months and more equipment and vehicles were bought to help with the demand.

Mr Mitchell however believed the business was growing too quickly.

Due to poor decisions the company started to make a loss. Mr Mitchell quit while Grant wished to continue and contact was cut between the two pair in February 2019.

Mr Mitchell and his wife, who had been living with Grant due to renovations at their property, moved out just as the business partnership ended.

Mrs Mitchell removed items from Grant’s house before taking a call from him demanding her husband’s whereabouts.

Grant turned up at the Michells’ house days later while they were out and demanded keys from a workman.

Grant made a further call to Mrs Mitchell saying: “Dirty rat, where the f*** is he, he’s left me myself, I don’t know what I’m doing, I hope you’re not going to sell that house and leave me.”

He made further attempts to contact Mr Mitchell by visiting his parents which made the victims feel “threatened and alarmed.”

Mrs Mitchell called Grant and told him that she was feeling scared by his conduct.

He replied: “You should be scared, because I’m scaring myself.”

Grant was eventually arrested by police at his home.

Sentence was deferred until next month and Grant, also of Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, had his bail continued meantime.