A cheating husband who sent abusive messages to his lover accusing her of being unfaithful was a case of “pot, kettle, black”, a court has heard.
Shepherd Simon Atkinson moved to Moray from Northumberland in order to set up a dog training business and started a relationship with a local woman, Elgin Sheriff Court was told.
It was after that relationship turned sour – and Atkinson had gone back to his wife – that he sent her derogatory and insulting messages.
Atkinson, 50, was due to stand trial on domestic abuse charges but pled guilty to an alternative charge of threatening or abusive behaviour with a domestic aggravation.
Fiscal depute Karen Poke said he sent abusive messages to the woman on two occasions at an address in Forres on October 9 and 21 last year.
‘He accused her of being unfaithful’
On the first occasion, the woman met a friend for dinner in Aberdeen only to receive the first message.
“He contacted her accusing her of lying to him about who she was with and stating that he knew what she was up to after a friend posted a photo of them on Facebook. He accused her of being unfaithful,” the fiscal said.
Weeks later, after the relationship had ended, he sent repeated WhatsApp messages to the woman as the pair arranged for him to hand back her dog, which he’d been training.
“He called her derogatory names,” the fiscal added.
“He called her stupid and said that she was silly. He had intended on meeting with her to return her dog and this was about 7am.
“She was not responding to his messages as she was getting children ready.
“He took issue with this and repeatedly send her messages asking why she wasn’t responding.
“He wrote ‘you being stupid again and taking no notice or anything I said’ and ‘sorry you like this’.
“The messages caused her distress and alarm.”
‘His wife is not the complainer?’
Atkinson’s defence agent, Richard Freeman, said his client was married with two adult children and works as a partner in his wife’s family’s sheep and dairy farm in England.
Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood at this point interjected: “His wife is not the complainer? Pot, kettle, black comes to mind.”
Atkinson’s solicitor went on: “The problem is shortly before he started this relationship with the complainer his marriage had broken down, mainly due to him working in the family business, working with her, living with her – it wasn’t working out.
“They decided to separate and he moved up north to Dufftown to train dogs.
“The complainer sought help from him with her dogs and a relationship developed between them, which went on for over one year.”
However, by the time the second bout of messages was sent last October, Atkinson had gone back to his wife.
‘He crossed a line’
“The actions in October were regrettable,” the solicitor added. “He admits he was wrong and crossed a line.
“He made those inappropriate remarks. It’s regrettable and it’s an episode he wants to put firmly behind him.
“He’s reconciled with his wife.”
Sheriff Fleetwood fined Atkinson, of Waitby, Kirkby Stephen, £470 and granted a 18-month non-harassment order banning him from contacting the complainer.
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