A rejected boyfriend who couldn’t get over his breakup followed his ex-girlfriend into an alleyway and placed her in a headlock, a court has heard.
Damian Zielinski, who also attempted to gain entry to his former partner’s home, has been ordered to stay away from the woman for three years.
The 21-year-old admitted following the woman and placing his hands around her throat, despite previously being ordered by a court not to approach her.
Zielinski then followed his victim into an alleyway and placed her into a headlock, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
He only left his ex alone when a member of the public became concerned for her safety and intervened.
The couple only dated for six months before separating.
Fiscal depute Lydia Ross told the court that at around 9pm on May 25 this year the woman looked outside her window to see Zielinski in a carpark across from her home.
He waited there for 40 minutes before managing to gain entry to her building and trying to speak to the woman before she called the police.
That evening she received 50 calls from a no-caller ID phone number and a further 14 from a number she knew to be Zielinski’s.
On August 8 this year, the woman was coming back from walking her dog at Aberdeen beach when she was approached by Zielinski.
She told him he was not allowed near and to “go away”.
‘He placed his hands around her neck’
Ms Ross said: “He began to lunge his head towards her in an aggressive manner, she recorded this on her phone.
“A passerby noticed that there seemed to be an argument and saw the accused move towards the complainer and place his hands around her neck.
“The complainer then turned off through an alleyway where she was followed by the accused who placed her in a headlock for around one minute.
“The member of the public then approached them as they were concerned for the complainer’s safety and Zielinski walked away.”
Zielinski pleaded guilty to two charges of behaving in a threatening manner, one charge of assault and a further charge of breaching a court order not to approach the woman.
‘He couldn’t let it go’
Defence agent Sian Grant told the court that the relationship between her client had come to an end “but he couldn’t let it go”.
“Mr Zielinski truly accepts that his behaviour was entirely unacceptable and it’s obviously not an appropriate way to behave.”
Sheriff Lesley Johnston told Zielinski: “There are serious charges and in particular the charge of assault.
“While I note that you have expressed remorse, the court has to mark the seriousness of these charges.”
The sheriff sentenced Zielinski, of Farquhar Road, Aberdeen, to a community payback order with supervision for two years.
She also ordered him to carry out 140 hours of unpaid work.
Zielinski will have to take part in a domestic abuse programme and was given a non-harassment order, meaning he cannot approach his victim for three years.
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