Serial stalker locked up over ‘alarming’ offences

Forfar man followed his ex in defiance of previous orders by the courts

A sheriff has slammed a serial Angus stalker after his latest offences against an ex-partner who is now protected by a two-year non-harassment order.

Kevin McCallum – branded a danger to women by another judge – tracked the woman to a Dundee car park, a shop in Forfar and her home in the Angus town to try to rekindle their relationship.

At Forfar Sheriff Court, McCallum was jailed for 220 days but other offences were left hanging over him after he was condemned from the bench for his defiance of previous court orders.

McCallum, of Strathmore Avenue, Forfar, appeared from custody before Sheriff Derek Reekie having previously admitted stalking the woman between October 19 and 29, months after the couple separated. Depute fiscal Stewart Duncan said the first incident was on October 19 when the woman was at work and became aware of someone walking behind her.

She was shocked and frightened to discover it was McCallum, who followed her to a car park and grabbed her phone.

He returned it and left, but the matter was reported to police.

The next day the victim was in a Forfar shop when McCallum came in and repeatedly asked how she was, before sending several Snapchat messages.

McCallum was arrested on October 20 but released without charge and eight days later was seen standing in the street outside his ex’s home.

His solicitor, Nick Markowski, said McCallum accepted he faced jail time.

“He celebrated his 32nd birthday on remand but he is the author of his own misfortune in that regard,” he said.

Sheriff Reekie told McCallum: “This is a very sorry state of affairs. You continue to offend against a very significant background of domestic offending.

“You have all the orders under the sun to protect this person and anyone else, and the observation of the social work department is that you will behave in any way to get your own way, and will offend when you are not getting your own way.

“The maximum sentence I can impose is one of 12 months and the only factor that mitigates against that is there was no physical violence, but it was extremely alarming, threatening behaviour.”

The sheriff said he also thought the two-year NHO “absolutely necessary” to give the woman the required protection.

McCallum will return to court in February just prior to his release to be sentenced for breaching a Community Payback Order imposed earlier this year.

He previously spent almost three years behind bars for a string of verbal and physical attacks on ex-girlfriends, including an assault in which he left dents in a wall after bashing her head against it.

Extremely alarming, threatening behaviour. SHERIFF DEREK REEKIE

Kevin McCallum previously admitted stalking his former partner months after their relationship broke up.