Boyfriend jailed for stalking hostage’s daughter

THE former partner of murdered Scots hostage David Haines’s daughter was jailed for 21 months yesterday for stalking her in a six-month campaign.

Andrew Murray, 22, admitted subjecting Bethany Haines to a ‘degrading and humiliating’ campaign of abuse and tore up a scrapbook dedicated to her father.

As Murray was led away smirking to cells at Perth Sheriff Court, Miss Haines, 20, clapped her hands. Outside court, she said: ‘It is a good result and justice has been done.’

Sheriff Lindsay Foulis imposed a five-year non-harassment order banning Murray from contact with Miss Haines and from posting any ‘abusive or derogatory’ comments about her on any social media.

He told him: ‘Your actions in relation to that scrapbook are very difficult for anyone thinking normally to understand.’

Miss Haines told the court how Murray had been jealous of photographs of her and her former partner, with whom she had a son, Aiden, attending the memorial service for her father – beheaded in Syria by notorious killer Jihadi John in 2014.

She said: ‘It was like he was jealous of how close me and my dad were. I was not allowed to talk about it or see the trauma counsellor, or wear jewellery that my dad had bought me.’

Fiscal depute Sue Ruta told the court Murray shouted and swore, calling Miss Haines vile names and falsely accusing her of sleeping with other men.

Murray, from Perth, admitted a six-month stalking campaign in Cupar Angus, Perthshire.

‘Like he was jealous of me and my Dad’