A man who sent a “nasty, violent” threatening message to his former partner has been told there was “no excuse” for his behaviour.
Trevor Geddes told the woman “I swear I will stab you in the face” in an email sent when the former couple were at odds over family arrangements.
Geddes, 45, appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit a single charge of sending the menacing message on March 22 last year.
Fiscal depute Sophie Marshall told the court that the message arrived in a period when Geddes had been seeking answers about family arrangements.
‘I will stab you’
The woman screen-shotted the email and reported it to police, after which Geddes was arrested and interviewed.
The fiscal depute said: “The accused made full admissions.”
Solicitor Natalie Paterson, for Geddes, said there was a “background” to the offence, explaining that Geddes and his former partner had been at odds over family arrangements.
She said that, on the day in question, Geddes had also received news that his mother had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and “all matters got on top of him”.
A ‘nasty, violent, threatening’ message
After hearing the details of the familial issues, Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald told him: “You were frustrated about what was going on […] I get it, but that is no excuse for sending such a nasty, violent, threatening message.”
She added: “This was a very frightening message to receive.”
Sheriff MacDonald deferred sentence on Geddes, of Benula Road, for six months for him to be of good behaviour.
The sheriff bailed him to appear at the sentencing hearing in December with a condition that he not contact his ex directly in the meantime.