County businessman denies stalking officials

A Bothwell businessman this week denied stalking three North Lanarkshire Council officials and making false and unfounded allegations about them in emails.

Colin Gibson, of Viscount Gate, pleaded not guilty to three charges under the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010.

He is alleged to have caused June Murray, Brian Cook and Alison Richmond fear and alarm by repeatedly and unnecessarily emailing them over a period covering more than four years.

The three charges state that the 54-year-old had repeatedly copied various people, including elected officials and the media into the emails between December 2010 and January/ February, 2015.

He is said to have repeatedly sent emails to Ms Murray containing false and unfounded allegations and inferences against her and North Lanarkshire Council between December 2010 and February 2015.

The charge involving Ms Murray alleges that Gibson had parked outside Ms Murray’s home on July 8, 2012, and to have watched her there.

It adds that the accused made reference to his observations the following day in an email to Ms Murray and made false allegations about her.

The charges concerning Mr Cook and Ms Richmond also allege that Gibson made false and unfounded allegations about the officials.

In an email to Ms Richmond he is said to have asked for her home address unnecessarily.

At Hamilton Sheriff Court on Tuesday, Sheriff Vincent Smith set the trial for November 23 with an intermediate diet of September 29 and ordered him to appear on those dates.