Man, 34, guilty of stalking Shona Robison

COURT: Glasgow man called MSP an hour after mental health facility discharge

A Glasgow man has been found guilty of stalking Dundee MSP and former health minister Shona Robison.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard Ala Elbilbaisi, 34, called Ms Robison’s constituency office looking to meet with her just an hour after being discharged from a mental health facility.

Elbilbaisi, of Firhill Street in Glasgow, had previously been acquitted by reason of mental disorder in July after sending Ms Robison abusive emails and posting threatening comments on Facebook.

One of the terms of his acquittal was that he had to receive treatment for his mental health.

Sheriff Lorna Drummond found that “within the context” of the previous messages, Elbilbaisi “ought to have known” contacting her again would cause her fear or alarm.

Depute fiscal Laura Bruce read out an email and two Facebook posts in relation to the previous case against Elbilbaisi.

An email on January 10 from Elbilbaisi to Ms Robison stated: “This is a reminder for you to stay away from me. There will never be anything between us no matter what you do or try.

“Go on practising your filth for as long as you can. I will take you to court.”

A Facebook post from February 17 also stated: “This is truly who Shona Robison is and must be terminated at the earliest possible point.”

Elbilbaisi, who denied the charge, used the phone calls to the SNP politician’s Balunie Avenue office on July 23 and 24 this year to persistently ask staff if he could meet her.

Taking to the stand as a witness, Elbilbaisi admitted that the phone calls could be considered “inappropriate” but insisted the reason for the calls was to apologise for his previous behaviour.

Ms Bruce put it to him that at no point did he mention this in the calls made and that he was now using it as an “excuse”.

Defence solicitor Kevin Corr argued his client’s behaviour was perhaps “inappropriate and ill thought-out” but “not threatening”.

However, in finding him guilty, Sheriff Drummond said his conduct was “not reasonable” and that it “ought to have been obvious” that contacting her would cause her fear or alarm.

He was convicted of stalking and engaging in a course of conduct causing fear and alarm under the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010.

Sentence was deferred until September 27 to allow for criminal justice social work reports to be prepared.

He was refused bail and remanded in custody in the meantime.

Former health secretary Shona Robison. Picture: Andrew Cowan.