A dumped boyfriend drew a heart on his ex’s door and stuck a love note on her letterbox, refusing to accept their relationship was over.
Bryan Anderson, 55, also sent the woman multiple emails after she blocked his phone number.
On one occasion, in the middle of the night, he left a black umbrella on her Forres doorstep.
The woman was “alarmed” by Anderson’s “mind games”, Elgin Sheriff Court was told.
His troubling behaviour, which landed Anderson in the dock, left his victim feeling “upset and shaken” by the “constant” incidents.
‘Incidents alarmed the lady significantly’
Fiscal depute Sharon Ralph said the woman received unwanted contact and attention in November and December 2021, more than a year after the relationship had ended.
“On November 27, she left her home for about 20 minutes and when she came back, she found a love heart drawn on her front door just above the handle,” Mrs Ralph said.
“On December 1, at around 3.40am, she awoke to the sounds of her dog barking, which was not unusual, but when she got up to let him out, there was a note stuck on her letterbox with a list of his property he wanted returned and on the back, he stated he still loved her and wanted her to phone him.
“On leaving in the morning, she noticed a black umbrella on her doorstep.
“She was alarmed by this as her garden is secured with a gate that is double locked. The only way to gain entry was to force it. These incidents alarmed the lady significantly.”
‘She felt he was playing mind games with her’
Just three days later, she received four emails from Anderson’s email address, which she had forgotten to block.
Some of them were about items that he wanted back, but the last read: “Chief Wiggam. Why the pretty ones insane?”
Mrs Ralph explained: “She felt the last email was in relation to her as he was aware of some mental health issues she had.
“She felt he was playing mind games with her. It unsettled her,” the fiscal added.
When police paid her a visit, officers said she was “visibly upset and shaken by the constant incidents that had been happening”.
Anderson told police: “I didn’t say anything in that letter that would cause fear or alarm and I certainly didn’t intend to cause it.
“I would never intentionally want to cause fear or alarm to her. I didn’t post the letter. I threw it over the fence. And I was just returning the umbrella.”
He admitted charges of domestic abuse and breaching bail conditions.
‘He had difficulty’
Defence agent Matthew O’Neill said that although each incident individually didn’t amount to abuse, the accumulation had caused the complainer concern.
“He moved out to live with his dad and his intention was for the relationship to continue,” the solicitor said.
“Understandably the complainer took a different view and indicated she no longer wished to be in a relationship.
“He had difficulty with that decision. He was in love with the woman and wanted it to continue.”
The court heard that there was “no prospect” of the pair getting back together.
Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood handed Anderson, of St Laurence Court, Forres, a one-year supervision order.
He was also given 120 hours of unpaid work and ordered to keep away from his ex for one year.
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