Unpaid work warning for lout

A yob who bombarded his ex-girlfriend with 43 abusive texts in one hour has been told “not to blow it” after getting his life back on track.

Daniel Finnigan returned to Paisley Sheriff Court this week for a review of a Community Payback Order (CPO) imposed on him for the offences against his expartner.

Finnigan, 37, was told to complete 160 hours of unpaid work in November last year after he lost the plot with Danielle Cameron, calling her names such as a “junkie” and a “schemer” in a torrent of vile messages.

When he appeared in the dock, his solicitor Alan Boland told the court that he had made significant progress in his life since his conviction, despite some difficulties.

Explaining that Finnigan had only completed two hours of his unpaid work so far, Mr Boland said: “It is clear that he has struggled at the start which is due to his mental health.

“He had stopped his medication but that has been rectified.

“While he has not been engaging as he should have, he has been keeping social work informed of his situation.

“He now has his own tenancy and is working full time.

“He fully accepts that he needs to do better.”

Procurator fiscal depute Katerina Ward told the court that Ms Cameron had been at home on September 21 when she was bombarded with 43 texts from Finnigan within just one hour.

She said: “She was overwhelmed with 43 text messages from the same unrecognised number within an hour.

“These texts referred to matters involving child custody.

“She contacted police, who attended and examined the mobile.

“She read out some of the messages to police which said, ‘slut,’ and ‘junkie’.”

Addressing Finnigan in the dock, Sheriff Colin Pettigrew said: “You have a lot going for you.

“You have your own tenancy, you have contact with your children, you have a job.

“Don’t blow it.

“I don’t want you to come back here having made no progress and for me to have to send you to custody.

“But it is down to you,” Finnigan, of Glenapp Avenue, in Pa i s l e y ’ s southend, will return to court for another review on April 19.