Phone menace told ex to open a brothel in text message rant
Drunk lout hit out at former girlfriend after split
A desperate creep bombarded his ex-girlfriend with sinister messages five years after they split.
Joao Branco, 55, hounded the woman out of the blue and fumed: “You’ve been f***** g all the guys in Glasgow.”
He branded her a “whore” and told her she should return to Portugal and open a brothel.
Branco was lifted and admitted terrorising the woman during a hearing at Paisley Sheriff Court.
Prosecutor Emma Jeffrey told how he sent a series of derogatory texts and voicemails.
She said: “The accused and the complainer were in a short relationship around five years ago.
“She was within her home address with her daughter.
“She received a text message from the accused’s mobile phone number.
“It was in Portuguese, which is the first language of both.
“She received a further three text messages which were all of a menacing nature.
“On the same day, she also received voice messages from his mobile phone number.
“These were all of a menacing nature. “Police attended the following day. “She explained the circumstances and showed the text messages to the officers and allowed them to listen to two voicemails.
“The messages were translated. “The first message was translated as follows: ‘ You have been f****g all the guys in Glasgow. Cow. Cow.’
“The second was translated as follows: ‘Cow. Cow. Cow. Whore. Whore.’
“The voicemails were of a similar nature.
“He was arrested and cautioned and replied, ‘I was drunk when I text and called her.’”
Branco sent the abusive messages from a property in Paisley’s Calside.
They were described as “grossly offensive” by the court.
The weirdo sent a torrent of abuse to the woman years after they broke up.
He demanded she return to Braga, Portugal, and told her she should work in the sex trade.
Branco claimed he had been boozing when he hit out on April 21.
Defence lawyer Bob Kerr claimed his client had acted out because he was disappointed on how the relationship ended.
He said: “Police indicated he appeared remorseful.
“He lives with his sister.
“He has lived in Scotland for 10 years and has had no previous involvement with the courts.
“He got involved with this lady following a long friendship.
“He had high hopes it would move forward in a serious way.
“That didn’t happen.
“These texts and messages were sent when he had taken too much alcohol and was feeling sorry for himself.
“It does seem to be completely out of character and driven by his hurt feelings.”
Sheriff Lindsey Kooner ordered Branco to cough up £360 for his actions.
She said: “I have an account of the extremely distasteful language you directed.
“You recognise such conduct is entirely unacceptable.
“You are 55 years of age and have no previous involvement with the court system and are in steady employment.
“For those reasons, I am going to impose a fine upon you.”
Branco, now of Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, was told to pay in £ 40 instalments.