Stalker wore fake baby bump

A Perthshire woman wore a prosthetic baby bump in a bizarre bid to trick a man’s family into believing she was pregnant.

Thirty-six-year-old

Jaclyn McGowan kept up the deception for nine months, even picking a name for the“child.”

The accused, of Craighall Place, Rattray, pled guilty to an amended stalking charge at Perth Sheriff Court.

Commenting that it was “an unusual charge,”Sheriff Neil Bowie deferred sentence until February 24 and called for a background report.

McGowan, said by solicitor Mike Tavendale to have a“fragile state of mental health,”was not in court.

But the lawyer confirmed:“She will certainly co-operate fully.”

She admitted that between June 1, 2019, and February 29, 2020, she engaged in a course of conduct that caused“fear or alarm”to Jamie Aitken, his brother Corrie and their motherWendy.

Her actions are said to have taken place at her home in Rattray and at Corrie’s workplace - Ryze Trampoline Park, Old Glamis Road, Dundee.

She pretended to Jamie Aitken that she was pregnant with his child, sent him a picture of a cot and requested £300 for it.

She also advised him she was having miscarriages and told him he would“play no part”in the baby’s life.

She further told Mrs Aitken that she was pregnant with Jamie’s child, sent her scan photographs and pretended she had pregnancy-related appointments but Jamie would not attend them with her.

In a further strange twist, McGowan told Mrs Aitken that she was going to call the child Noah and he would be born on March 28 last year - and that she could play a part in the baby’s life.

She then pretended to Corrie Aitken that she was pregnant with his brother’s child and told him he could play a part in the baby’s life.

She also went to his work at the trampoline park while wearing the prosthetic baby bump.

Depute fiscal Lisa Marshall said that the accused has no previous convictions.