A north-east fire service employee has been placed under supervision and fined £400 for stalking her estranged husband and his new girlfriend.
Katie Purse admitted persistently phoning Lorraine Hawkins and attempting to contact her despite being told to stop.
The offence took place between July and November 2015 after she discovered Ms Hawkins was in a relationship with Alan Purse, her estranged husband.
She denied harassing Mr Purse, who also works at the fire service, by phoning him and uttering threats over an 11-month period but was found guilty following a trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court earlier this month.
During the course of the trial, voice recordings were played between the pair where she threatened to reduce his access to their three children and force him to pay more money towards them.
In one of the recordings he said to her: “Do you admit to threatening and blackmailing me?”
She replied: “Yes, I admit that.”
She claimed while giving evidence that the calls were not a representation of their relationship during that period, claiming Mr Purse had pushed her buttons to get a reaction while recording the calls.
Purse, 32, appeared in court yesterday to be sentenced for the two offences.
Sheriff Charlotte Coutts told the court: “I am concerned she is going to find other ways of making his life difficult but I am not sure it helps having something hanging over her.”
She placed Purse, of Woodside Terrace in Udny Station, under supervision for six months for the stalking charge involving her husband and fined her £400 for her actions against Ms Hawkins.
David Rout, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s local senior officer for Aberdeenshire and Moray, confirmed Purse will be investigated.
He said: “The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is aware that Katie Purse was sentenced earlier today after being found guilty of stalking related offences following a trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
“This type of behaviour is a very clear breach of our code of conduct and will be subject to a fact finding investigation in line with service disciplinary policy.
“Our service condemns behaviour which may appear innocent to others, but can cause fear and alarm or immense suffering to victims.”
