A sheriff has branded menacing messages a father-of-four sent his ex-partner as “absolutely disgusting” and ordered him to complete 18 months supervision and 150 hours of unpaid work.
Jack Steventon appeared for sentencing at Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday having previously admitted a charge of sending messages that were grossly offensive, or of an indecent, obscene or menacing nature.
The charge detailed that the messages included offensive sexual remarks, derogatory remarks and threats of violence towards his ex and her friends.
Fiscal depute Ruaridh Allison told the court: “The complainer is an ex-partner of the accused. There was some difficulty with the accused’s address in relation to visitation with the children. He contacted the complainer on Snapchat to discuss this.”
Messages from ex included threats
However, the court heard that the tone of the communications soon changed and the complainer received messages that were of “significant concern” over a number of days.
Mr Allison added: “They included threats to harm her, to harm her friends and extremely derogatory remarks of a sexual nature.”
Solicitor Natalie Paterson for Steventon told the court that the messages came following the end of a long relationship and at a time when he had previously been using cannabis.
She said: “He has overcome many of his issues since the commission of the offence. He now no longer consumes cannabis.”
Miss Paterson added that her client accepted that the messages – sent between May 12 and 15 this year – were “extremely unpleasant”.
Placing Steventon on a Community Payback Order with 18 months supervision and 150 hours of unpaid work, Sheriff Sara Matheson said: “These messages are not unsavoury, they are absolutely disgusting and unacceptable.
“They display a disregard for the mother of your own children that is quite frankly appalling.”
She also made him the subject of a two-year non-harassment order barring him from contacting his ex for any reason.
