A jealous man has narrowly avoided jail after threatening to burn down his ex’s house and kill her new boyfriend.
Stewart Sutherland bombarded the woman with horrifying phonecalls making stomach-churning threats to harm her and her family.
When she blocked his number, the 31-year-old started phoning from another number, at one point calling dozens of times in less than an hour.
After initially seeming to try and blame his victim for his actions, Sutherland narrowly dodged a prison sentence after changing his position following talks with his solicitor.
Fiscal depute Lydia Ross told Aberdeen Sheriff Court Sutherland’s ex-partner started receiving numerous calls from him on November 15.
She said: “He made threats that he was going to blow up her car, burn down her house, smash her mum’s and granddad’s windows as well as calling her an ugly rat and threatening to batter her.
“She blocked the number due to the volume of the contact.
‘He was off his medication’
“After blocking it, she received numerous calls on a daily basis from a withheld number.”
On December 5, while the woman was at home, she received 35 calls from the withheld number in the space of just 50 minutes.
During the calls she answered, she heard Sutherland making similarly sinister threats, including that he would kill her new partner.
Sutherland, of Cameron Street, Stonehaven, pled guilty to a charge of stalking and to breaching a bail condition not to contact his ex.
He also admitted a further bail breach and sending the woman messages containing derogatory remarks and threats in October.
And Sutherland additionally admitted two charges of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards the woman in August.
Sheriff Lesley Johnston raised concerns that Sutherland had sought to “blame” his ex for his actions in a court-ordered social work report.
‘You’ve come very close today to a custodial sentence’
But, after speaking to her client during an adjournment, defence agent Jenny Logan said: “He is regretful of what he has done and is now understanding of the impact.”
She described the pair’s relationship as “toxic” and added Sutherland was “remorseful” for the offences.
Ms Logan went on: “At the time of the offences, he was off his medication and was struggling with his mental health.
“He says he is back on them now and realises his actions were inappropriate.”
Sheriff Johnston told Sutherland: “You’ve come very close today to a custodial sentence.”
As a direct alternative, she handed him 180 hours of unpaid work, a two-year supervision order and a requirement to complete any elements of the Caledonian programme deemed appropriate by social workers.
She also imposed a three-year non-harassment order.
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