Jail for stalking and an assault

A man who stalked a woman in Stirling city centre and tried to headbutt a restaurant worker was this week jailed for a year.

Amandeep Singh Sangha pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting the male worker at TJS, Port Street, on August 22, 2021.

The 36-year-old had also admitted behaving in a threatening and abusive manner likely to cause fear and alarm at the restaurant on the same date.

In a separate complaint, Sangha, who has a West Midlands address, admitted a charge – under section 39 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 – of engaging in a course of conduct at Stirling addresses which caused fear and alarm to a woman, whom he did not know, between August 18 and September 6, 2021, by repeatedly loitering outside her home, staring at her and asking to enter her home.

He had refused to stop when asked to do so. He had also stood and stared at her in the street and tried to approach her.

Fiscal depute Karen Chambers told Stirling Sheriff Court on Wednesday that the restaurant worker had been behind the bar at 3.30pm when Sangha came into the premises on August 22, 2021.

She said the accused had asked for food and drink, but did not consume them. He also stared at staff which made them uncomfortable.

When he was refused more alcohol he replied: ‘ are you sure about that?’

He asked for more drink, but was again refused, and stated: ‘do you want a fight?’

Sangha was asked to leave the premises and police were contacted.

Ms Chambers said he walked towards the back of the restaurant and tried to enter the female toilets.

A member of staff grabbed Sangha by the shirt collar and he tried to headbutt the witness just as the police arrived. He said to the witness: ‘i’m going to slaughter you.’

Sangha’s agent Ken Dalling told Sheriff Keith O’mahony that his client had taken drink elsewhere before entering the restaurant. When the restaurant workers became suspicious, Sangha felt that their suspicions were unfounded.

The lawyer said Sangha had anger problems exacerbated by drink.

Sheriff Keith O’mahony told Sangha that there was no alternative to a custodial sentence.

He sentenced him to five months’ imprisonment on the TJS assault and threatening and abusive behaviour charges and seven months’ on the charge of a course of conduct which caused the woman fear and alarm. The terms were to run consecutively.

A 10-year non-harassment order forbidding Sangha from approaching or contacting the woman was also imposed.