Fife man sent ex-partner unwanted messages, gifts and loitered outside her home

Nicholas Cochrane, of Barnton Place, Glenrothes appeared before Sheriff Craig McSherry at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.

Cochrane, 55, admitted that between December 1, 2020 and January 12, 2021, at an address in Abbotsford Drive, Glenrothes and elsewhere, he engaged in a course of conduct which caused his former partner fear and alarm in that he repeatedly sent her texts and other messages, loitered outside her home address and left flowers at her door.

He further admitted on February 5, 2021 that he failed to comply with a court order not to contact and communicate with his former partner.

The Procurator Fiscal Depute told the court they had been in a relationship, and had broken up in August 2019 although they remained in contact on and off until October 2020.

The Depute said: “The complainer did not want any further contact with the accused.

"In November 2020 she started a new relationship and received a message from the accused saying “how could you do that to me?” in an attempt to make her feel guilty.

"In January 2021 the accused continued to send her unwanted messages on Facebook Messenger.

" On another occasion she was on the phone in her property when she saw the accused walk past her house - and then again on January 12, 2021 at 10.00pm.

"She received a text message from the accused begging for forgiveness and at her back door lay a bunch of flowers.

"She did not respond to the majority of the messages, with the exception of asking him not to contact her again.”

The Depute said police had been visiting the accused and had seen the messages on his mobile to the complainer and the accused told officers he had taken flowers to the complainer and left them at her doorstep before walking away. He was cautioned and charged.

In relation to the second charge, the Depute said the complainer was in her home address when she received two messages from an unknown number: “She did not recognise the number but from the content of the messages, she believed they were sent by the accused. They made reference to previous occasions when the accused had left her unwanted gifts. She contacted police.

"Officers traced the accused and he was cautioned and charged.”

Cochrane’s defence lawyer said her client and the complainer had been in a long-term relationship but that the couple had split up which her client could not come to terms with.

She said: “He has taken full responsibility for his actions and he understands that the messages and the gifts were not necessarily wanted. Through the passage of time he has now moved on and there is no possibility of reconciliation.”

Sheriff McSherry placed Cochrane on a community payback order with a requirement to carry out 90 hours of unpaid work. He also placed him on a non-harassment order not to contact his former partner for two years.

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