A driving instructor ordered to stay away from his neighbour has been jailed for stalking her again – by using his job to lurk outside her work.
Robert Fowler took pupils to the car park outside Kintore Primary School, where Ann Ellis worked as a cleaner, to practise their manoeuvres.
When she saw him outside, he would get the pupils to drive off.
Fowler also filmed and followed Ms Ellis on various occasions – even turning up at her aunt’s home while she visited.
At Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday, the 53-year-old was jailed for 14 months and given a three-year non-harrassment order.
The court has previously heard Fowler began developing feelings for Ms Ellis following the break-up of her marriage.
He began following her, waiting outside school for her and bombarding her with texts and phone calls over an 18-month period.
In May 2016, Fowler was eventually put on a nine-month supervision order and told to carry out unpaid work.
But after completing his sentence, and moving back to his home in Fraser Place, Kemnay, the 53-year-old reverted back to his old behaviour.
He took pupils he was teaching to drive to Kintore Primary School, where Miss Ellis worked as a cleaner, on two occasions in March and April last year.
As they carried out the various maneouvres, staff spotted him – spooking Ms Ellis – and he got the pupils to drive off.
Fowler also drove to her aunt’s house in Kemnay while she was visiting her.
He admitted these offences earlier this year, but was found guilty after trial of following Ms Ellis in her car between January and April last year, and filming, following and watching her in the two months after.
At Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday, defence agent Peter Keene said his client now plans to move away from Kemnay.
He said: “He aims to put the house up for sale the day after he gets out.
“His reputation in the town has taken some battering.
“Mr Fowler teaches driving in a more or less semi-rural location, of course the driving test is centred on urban driving.
“It is hard enough for Mr Fowler to find suitable areas for instruction and it is difficult to find a car park whereas these are ten a penny in town.”
He added that his client thought the school was closed on the second occasion he took a pupil there for driving lessons.
Jailing him, Sheriff Ian Anderson said: “I see no alternative to a custodial sentence.
“This course of conduct has been going on for a long time and you were given a community sentence and that has not worked.”
