A hapless Huntly amateur private investigator has appeared in court accused of harassment – after he started tailing the wrong woman.
James Douglas agreed to help a friend find out if his girlfriend was being unfaithful and offered to follow her and take photographs.
However, in a series of events described in court as “acutely stupid”, the 41-year-old followed the wrong person and instead was caught taking photos of an off-duty HMP Grampian worker.
The woman – Miss J – was alerted to Douglas and another male by a family member, who had witnessed them parked near her property in Peterhead.
Fiscal depute Kirsty Martin told the court that the prison worker had been visiting a family on January 20 2022 before driving home.
As she left the property, a family member saw two men in a car taking photos of her.
Ms Martin continued: “When they saw her watching them, they drove off. They followed Miss J and stopped outside her home address.
“Miss J saw the male standing outside on the road with a phone in his hand. He then got in the car and left the area.”
‘This is private investigations gone wrong’
The court heard Miss J had been shaken by the experience and she phoned the police.
Douglas and the other man were then tracked down using CCTV.
Douglas pled guilty to an amended charge of loitering, taking photos without consent and of following Miss J. Charges of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner were dropped.
Douglas’ defence agent Marianne Milligan said her client had been asked by a friend to find out if his partner was having an affair, adding: “He stupidly said he would help.
“It was the wrong person that Mr Douglas had taken photos of.
“This is private investigations gone wrong – it was acutely stupid. He wishes he never got involved.”
Mrs Milligan told the court that Douglas had recently suffered the loss of a child and it had caused a strain on his own relationship.
She said: “He admits it was really stupid.”
Sheriff Craig Findlater reiterated it had been “private investigations gone wrong”, but said it was still “troubling behaviour”, adding: “It caused fear and alarm.”
He fined Douglas, of Torry Road, Huntly, £290.
