A man has appeared in court and admitted stalking the staff of a PDSA vet clinic in Aberdeen.
Darren Cran embarked on the concerning course of conduct on a number of occasions between April 22 and September 29 last year.
The 30-year-old frequently stared down at workers in the Fraser Place vet practice from his flat on George Street.
And Cran also regularly went into the clinic asking if staff were single.
Fiscal depute Kate Scarborough told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the employees at the practice had not had any prior engagements with Cran before the offence.
She said: “The accused’s home address is opposite the vet clinic and the windows overlook it.
“On several dates between April 22 and September 29 2022, the witnesses observed the accused they perceived to be staring from the window of his flat down towards them.”
‘Slightly bizarre in many ways’
On one occasion, he went into the practice and asked an employee: “Is the blonde vet still working.”
Cran advised he had been “watching her”, indicating he lived nearby.
Around 4.15pm on April 22 2022, a female employee left the practice and was approached by Cran on Fraser Place.
Cran asked her if she was single and she told him she had a boyfriend.
On a date in June, another employee was working the nightshift at the clinic when Cran approached the locked front door.
She did not open the door but Cran proceeded to bang on it for around 10 minutes before leaving and going back to his flat.
On September 29, around 5.30pm, Cran again walked into the practice and asked if he could speak to “the blonde over there”.
When she came over, Cran asked if she was single and leaned across the counter towards her.
Ms Scarborough said: “The witnesses were fearful and contacted the police to report the behaviour.”
Cran was later arrested and, despite holding a largely “no comment” interview, did acknowledge his “type”, which he described as “small, skinny, blonde hair and blue eyes”.
He also accepted looking out of his window at the staff in the practice.
He told police: “The blonde member of staff was looking up and smiling, making flirty faces and indicating she liked me.”
‘There’s something of a psychiatric background’
Cran, whose address was given in court papers as George Street, Aberdeen, pled guilty to stalking.
He also admitted a separate offence of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards police at his flat, en route to and at Kittybrewster station on May 5 2022.
He repeatedly made sexual remarks towards a female officer, repeatedly stared at her, repeatedly attempted to persuade her to have physical contact with him and attempt to grab her hand.
Defence agent John McLeod asked for sentence to be deferred for reports.
He added: “Obviously, the behaviour is not entirely straightforward and is slightly bizarre in many ways.
“There’s something of a psychiatric background.”
Sheriff Margaret Hodge deferred sentence until late June for reports.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.
