Revenge porn yob must stay away from victim for three years

A twisted yob who posted intimate snaps of a young woman on her business Facebook page and sent them to her mum has been tagged and told to stay away from his victim for three years.

Garry McNeill, 33, hacked the Linwood woman’s iCloud account before sharing the private snaps online.

The woman, who can’t be identified for legal reasons, told Paisley Sheriff Court that her life and business had been ruined by McNeill.

McNeill uploaded the files to her business page, under the guise of a “special offer” advert, tagging a number of her friends, family and clients in the post, and describing her as “a homewrecker” who sleeps with married men.

She explained: “I felt sick. That was my business, my livelihood.

“It is now two years on and I’m still dealing with the repercussions of it.

“There are clients who haven’t touched me as, apparently, I sleep with their husbands.

“It’s ruined my life. He said I needed help but I didn’t need help.

“He has absolutely no right to distribute them or tell anyone my business.

“He did this to try and sabotage me and upset my parents and upset me. It was done out of revenge.”

McNeill returned to the dock yesterday to learn his fate over the revenge porn shame.

Defence solicitor Rhona Lynch said that McNeill had been left with depression because of the events and had to give up his job as a result.

She asked for leniency for McNeill, adding: “He accepts he completely overreacted to the situation and took matters to another level.”

Sheriff Pettigrew slammed McNeill for his actions, highlighting he had told social workers his victim must have posted the pictures on her own page, and branding him a liar.

He said: “This was revenge for the way you felt.”

He pointed out that sentencing laws state that prison should only be imposed on a first-offender if no alternative sentence is available.

He said: “The law is clear - a custodial sentence should not be imposed.”

He placed McNeill on a Community Payback Order (CPO), as a direct alternative to custody, which will see him carrying out 270 hours’ unpaid work and being supervised by social workers for the next 12 months.

He was also made the subject of a six-month Restriction of Liberty Order, which will see him fitted with an electronic tag and having to remain within his home every day between 7am and 7pm.

And he was made the subject of a Non- Harrassment Order, which bans him from being able to approach or contact his victim or her mother for the next three years.

Sheriff Pettigrew added: “I stress, these orders are not soft options.

“This gives you an opportunity to make recompense for your behaviour and contribute to society as part of your punishment for your offending.”