A 71-year-old crofter bombarded a woman with calls and messages after she declined his invitation to share wine and chips.
William Kennedy was ordered to pay £250 compensation to the woman and stay away from her for two years after admitting a single stalking charge at Tain Sheriff Court.
He had contacted her looking to buy hay from her farm, but he quickly became obsessed, with one of his messages reading: “I just can’t stop thinking about you, my darling.”
Kennedy, of Birichen, Dornoch, appeared for sentencing having previously pled guilty to a charge of engaging in a course of conduct which caused the woman fear or alarm by repeatedly telephoning her, leaving voicemails and sending text messages.
Pair had ‘no meaningful relationship’
Fiscal depute Robyn Macleod told the court that Kennedy and the woman had “no meaningful relationship” prior to the incidents in September 2021.
She said: “He was an infrequent customer of her place of work.”
She detailed how, in late August last year, Kennedy had contacted the woman looking to purchase hay from her farm.
The fiscal went on: “The witness offered the hay free of charge.”
After uplifting the hay, Kennedy was driving past the woman on his tractor and told her he would like come round with a bottle of wine to thank her for the hay.
The woman initially accepted. But soon after this, she was contacted again by Kennedy, who said he would like to bring her some chips as well as wine.
The woman, who was becoming “increasingly uncomfortable” then contacted Kennedy to decline the offer.
Crofter stalked woman with ‘string of messages’
“He proceeded to send a string of text messages which began at 4.50pm and ended late into the night,” Ms Macleod said.
On more than one occasion Kennedy texted the woman a single word – “Hello?”. He also told her: “I just can’t stop thinking of you, my darling.”
He then proceeded to phone her persistently before apologising and telling her: “I just get carried away.”
On September 21 the woman blocked Kennedy, but the following day she received a call from an anonymous number.
Police were contacted and Kennedy was arrested and charged. When asked if he wanted to make a reply to the charge he told them: “No, what is the point?”
‘A lonely existence’
Solicitor Rory Gowans, for Kennedy, told the court his client was a crofter who had lived alone since his divorce in 2006 and led a “fairly lonely existence”.
He said Kennedy had “formed the view that there was a mutual attraction”.
The lawyer added: “He does accept that he persisted in phoning and texting. None of these were sinister. He did round them off by apologising.
“He very much regrets what he did, he didn’t think it through.”
Sheriff David Sutherland ordered Kennedy to pay £250 compensation and imposed a two-year non-harassment order preventing him from approaching or contacting the woman.
