Flouted order

A Perthshire teenager ignored a court order banning him from getting in touch with his ex-girlfriend as he wanted to rekindle their relationship.

But Perth Sheriff Court was told this week there had been a “positive change” in his attitude after he was ordered to take part in the Right Track programme, designed to keep wayward youngsters on the straight and narrow.

Nineteen-year-old Joshua Colville, of Leitfie Terrace, Alyth, was previously told he risked losing his liberty by flouting court orders.

He will discover his fate on August 16 after a further spell on the scheme.

He had been granted bail at Perth Sheriff Court on July 5, 2016, and a special condition was imposed denying him contact with the female.

But between October 1 and November 6,2016, in Alyth High Street, he repeatedly approached and communicated with her.

Depute fiscal Craig Donald said the matter came to light after police learned of messages that had gone back and forward between the pair.

About five weeks earlier, they had “crossed paths” in the Burnside Inn, Alyth.

“The complainer had entered the pub - and the accused was there.

“She left for a cigarette and he followed her outside.

“He apologised for his earlier actions which led to the bail conditions being imposed.

“At that stage the accused asked for a chance to reconcile,” explained the fiscal.

Further to that, they had been in touch via WhatsApp - and Colville had also been at her house.

Solicitor Jamie Baxter said that Alyth is a “small town” and his client had “come across her” four months after being placed on bail.

“He expressed regret at the ending of the relationship.

“It ended with a reconciliation and he accepts he was round at her property on a number of occasions over a three-week period in October.

“He was not giving thought to the fact he was subject to a court order,” added the lawyer.

“She was happy with the relationship resuming, there’s no doubt about that.”

Deferring sentence for a further three months, Sheriff William Wood warned him: “Stay out of further trouble meantime.” communicating in a sexual and indecent way.

He also warned the ease of access to mobile phones resulted in many people “not even beginning to think” about their actions.

The court was told that the accused struck up a friendship with the teenager after she began swimming regularly at the Glover Street pool in Perth.

But as their contact became increasingly frequent, her mother decided to look at some of the messages.

And she was shocked to discover the sexual nature - and sexual innuendo - contained in the Snapchat and other exchanges.

The police became involved - and when Rodger’s phone was examined, it was discovered he had taken down his boxer shorts and showed off his genitalia during a Facetime video call.

Depute fiscal Tina Dickie told the court that the 13-year-old, who lives with her mother, started going to the leisure pool with friends “on an almost nightly basis.”

During that time she became friends with the accused but her mother noticed their contact was becoming “increasingly frequent.”

At some point on March 13 last year, the mother looked at some of the messages that had been going back and forth between them.

At that point her daughter became upset and tried to retrieve her phone.

That resulted in an argument and the police were contacted after neighbours heard the disturbance.

The mum, at that point, had seen some of the messages and felt that some of them were of “an overly sexual nature.”

The fiscal added: “She was concerned for her daughter and reported the matter to the police.”

When the phone was “interrogated,” it was discovered that thousands of text messages had passed between them.

When interviewed, the girl revealed that during one of the Facetime calls, he was wearing only his boxer shorts and a blanket.

“Without being asked, he angled his phone towards his crotch, removed his boxer shorts,” added the fiscal.

Solicitor David Holmes said that despite the number of texts found, there had been no sexual activity between them.

A number of the texts were described as flirtatious although he “should have known better” because of their respective ages.