The vice-president of the Turriff Show has been found guilty of stalking his estranged wife.
Alan Gaul received anonymous tip-offs that his wife was having an affair, and decided to take action in a desperate attempt to save his marriage.
The 49-year-old even booked himself into the Ardoe House Hotel, near Aberdeen, after discovering his wife and her new man were booked in for a romantic stay.
He also repeatedly e-mailed and texted her after she had moved out of the marital home and went to Inverness to “get some space”.
During a trial at Inverness Sheriff Court, defence solicitor Debbie Wilson insisted her client’s actions had been trying to save his six-year marriage.
But although she acknowledged Gaul was “distraught”, Sheriff Margaret Neilson found him guilty of causing his estranged wife fear and alarm between January 18 and June 15, 2018.
The court heard that Gaul, of Little Whiterashes, Turriff, found one of his wife’s personal messages on his work computer, and discovered she was going on a romantic break to Ardoe House Hotel.
The stock control manager booked himself into the same hotel on the same night in February last year, and the following morning, encountered the couple in a corridor.
The court heard the pair were convinced they had been followed as they had not told anyone of their tryst.
In the weeks leading up to the incident – after Gaul’s wife moved out – he sent her repeated texts and e-mails about their marriage.
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Communication continued until June, when his estranged wife told him the relationship was over.
However, Gaul continued to contact her until he received a second letter warning him only to communicate through her solicitor.
Following the two-day trial, Sheriff Neilson found Gaul guilty of causing his wife fear and alarm at addresses in Inverness, Beauly and Ardoe House Hotel.
Delivering her verdict, she told defence agent Ms Wilson: “The court is not judging her morality or behaviour, and it is clear that your client was distraught at the breakdown of his marriage.
“I am here to judge if the Crown has proved its case.”
Sentence was deferred until June 27 for background reports.
