Terrified by jealous ex

A woman left her partner “terrified” when she hounded her for two months after they split up.

Yvonne Mcgovern accused Angela Robertson of seeing a man and threatened to attack her with a hammer.

She followed the Hamilton woman in her car then stole her mobile phone to check messages on it.

Mcgovern, 44, of Springburn Way, Glasgow, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court last week.

She admitted a course of abusive conduct in Inglefield Gardens, Hamilton, Blantyre Industrial Estate and elsewhere between November 28 and January 23.

Morag Mclintock, prosecuting, said the women were in a relationship for four months, but it ended with Mcgovern accusing Ms Robertson of cheating on her.

During the following weeks the accused bombarded her partner with calls and messages.

Some of these contained abuse and threats, but at points the women chatted with a view to getting back together.

Ms Mclintock told the court: “On one occasion Mcgovern followed Ms Robertson in her car to Blantyre Industrial Estate.

“She got out of her car, opened the door of the complainer’s vehicle, pushed her out of the way and removed her phone.

“She kept the phone, forcing the complainer to get a new one.

“The complainer was so concerned she moved in with her mother for two weeks as she didn’t want to be in her own home.

“She felt the accused was trying to control her.”

On another occasion Mcgovern turned up at Ms Robertson’s home and when the door was opened she put her foot inside. However, the door chain was still on.

Ms Mclintock stated: “The accused left, but the complainer was terrified.

“In another phone call, Mcgovern threatened to smash the complainer’s car and come through the door of her home with a hammer and assault her.

“She warned that if it didn’t happen that night it would be over the weekend and there would be no one there to stop her.”

Ms Robertson eventually contacted the police and officers said she looked “distressed”.

Questioned by police, Mcgovern claimed Ms Robertson had initiated a lot of the contact in an effort to get back together.

She admitted making abusive and threatening comments, and said she followed her in her car because she knew Ms Robertson was seeing a man.

Mcgovern described Ms Robertson as “poison”, telling the officers: “She pushed me to break. I say things and text in a rage, but would never follow it through.”

Sheriff Thomas Millar deferred sentence until next month for a criminal justice social work report.