Village restaurateur denies ‘stalking’ his estranged wife Witness says accused was seen outside village cafe

A Bothwell businessman looked into the windows of a village cafe where his estranged wife was socialising with friends, a court heard yesterday (Wednesday).

Restaurateur Marco Sarao was identified by witness Audrey Samwells as having been outside the Chapterhouse Cafe on a date in spring 2015.

Ms Samwells (48) was giving evidence in Marco Sarao’s trial on a charge of stalking his wife, Hamilton hairdresser Audrey Sarao.

The 44-year-old accused has denied engaging in a course of conduct which caused his wife fear or alarm between January 2015 and June 2016 at addresses in Bothwell and elsewhere in Lanarkshire.

Giving evidence, civil servant Ms Samwells said she had been a friend of Audrey Sarao’s for 13 years.

She explained that she would meet with Mrs Sarao once a week for coffee on a Wednesday after their pilates class, along with other women.

Ms Samwells said at that time they normally went to Rosso in Bothwell Main Street for coffee.

Fiscal depute Fiona Kirby asked Ms Samwells if she knew Audrey Sarao’s husband. She said she did and pointed to Marco Sarao sitting in the dock.

Ms Kirby asked the witness if Marco Sarao had ever attended when the women were having coffee after their class. She replied: “He didn’t attend on a regular basis. No.”

Ms Samwells said she had been aware that the couple separated around December 2014 or January 2015.

Ms Kirkby asked her if Marco Sarao had ever attended for coffee after the couple’s separation.

The witness said she could recall one occasion when the group had gone to Rosso, adding: “I believe he was there, but I didn’t see him that day.”

She explained that she had been about to go into Rosso with Mrs Sarao and two other women, Julie Mcgowan and Sharon Elsender, on a date in either March or April 2015.

However, the group did not go inside Rosso, but went to the Chapterhouse Cafe instead.

Ms Kirkby asked Ms Samwells if anything had occurred while the women were in the Chapterhouse Cafe. She replied: “I did see Marco in the [Chapterhouse] car park later on.”

The witness explained Marco Sarao was “just looking” into the window of the cafe “from a distance, not up close” for “a couple of minutes.”

Asked how Audrey Sarao reacted to her husband’s presence, Ms Samwells said: “She was just a bit more upset maybe”.

The fiscal depute asked the witness to expand and she replied: “It was a wee bit uncomfortable”.

The trial before Sheriff Mcintyre continues. Andrew