Threatening texts sent to ex partner
Given a year’s supervision
A man who threatened his former partner with violence during a tirade via text message was this week given a year’s supervision.
Thirty-five-year-old Christopher Kelly had admitted a charge of engaging in a course of conduct at Burngreen, Kippen, between March 15 and 16 this year which caused Pamela Garofalou fear and alarm, aggravated by abuse of a partner or ex-partner.
Fiscal depute Jamie Hughes told Stirling Sheriff Court on Wednesday that Ms Garofalou and the accused separated in 2018 but remained in touch for family reasons.
On March 15, he said, Miss Garofalou was chatting with the accused via messages on WhatsApp.
The conversation was quite amicable at first, said Mr Hughes, but things changed in an exchange about what had been said to other people.
This resulted in an argument via text message. Kelly became angry and sent “a large quantity” of abusive messages which included ‘kill the self ’ and ‘I’ll terrorise your family’.
Mr Hughes also pointed out that Kelly had also stated that he had ‘a few good weapons’ which could cause ‘maximum damage’.
He told Ms Garofalou that she might want to stay inside her Kippen home as he was going to pay her a visit – and that he knew of ‘boys’ who would ‘murder you for the right price’.
She contacted police stating that she felt scared as Kelly could go to her home and cause her harm.
When officers attended at her Burngreen home on March 16 they described her as looking shaken.
A few days later police attended at Kelly’s mother’s house in Cambuslang where Kelly identified himself. Following caution he replied: ‘I have had plenty dodgy messages as well.’
His lawyer told Sheriff William Gilchrist that Kelly’s previous convictions related to road traffic matters, and the matter before the court was the first offence of its
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Kelly’s relationship with Ms Garofalou was at an end and matters had been heightened over a family issue, the lawyer explained.
But Kelly had not known this. “Certain allegations” had also been made and things had spiralled out of control. Kelly’s mental health suffered, the solicitor pointed out.
It was also pointed out that Kelly wished to move on and no longer has any contact with the complainer.
Sheriff Gilchrist told Kelly: “It’s unfortunate at the age of 35 you find yourself convicted of this type of offence. You have no previous convictions apart from road traffic offences.
“There is obviously an underlying family problem and dynamic.”
Sentencing Kelly to a community payback order comprising 12 months’ supervision, he told him that a bail condition preventing contact with Ms Garofalou would expire, adding: “There is nothing preventing you from having contact with the complainer, but it is probably not a sensible thing to do.” Sheriff Gilchrist advised Kelly to get in touch with his solicitor to arrange contact with his children and not make direct contact with Ms Garofalou.