A Forres man accused of stalking a coffee shop worker yesterday admitted he sometimes “lived in a Walter Mitty fantasy world”.
But 28-year-old Ashley Martin denies frightening the young woman, telling a jury at Inverness Sheriff Court: “I managed to fall in love with someone I don’t really know.
“I thought she was interested in me. I was getting mixed messages and she seemed happy.
Martin, of 2 Grange Green, Farm Cottage, Forres, denies causing 20-year-old Rebecca Corrance fear and alarm by repeatedly attending at her place of work in Costa Coffee, Inglis Street, Inverness, following her home, sending her letters and repeatedly contacting her on Facebook between March and August, 2014.
Martin was psychologically examined before the trial and was assessed as dyslexic, had significant problems with literacy, a poor attention span and was not good at listening to and processing words.
Giving evidence yesterday, Martin told his lawyer Eilidh Macdonald: “I thought we could have a relationship maybe. I was looking for someone to settle down with, perhaps getting married, there is nothing wrong with that.”
He said that he walked with her a couple of times and denied following her.
He added: “But after a while I knew something was wrong and I was trying to find out what. Her friend told me to back off and I got two messages from her boyfriend warning me to stop or they would call the police.
“When I was arrested, I didn’t want a solicitor because I didn’t think I needed one.”
During cross examination by fiscal Roderick Urquhart, Martin said: “I was not aware I was causing fear and alarm,” adding that she “never once said for me to stop”.
In his closing speech, Mr Urquhart told the jury that it was what Ms Corrance felt that was important.
He said: “There were no mixed messages. Her work required her to be friendly and outside it she was civil.
“There was no duty on her to say go away. His conduct was not reasonable and a reasonable person should have known it was causing fear and alarm.”
Ms Macdonald said: “This was simply immature, lovesick behaviour. The law is right to prosecute stalking. It is a serious offence which can cause distress, and have people living in fear of their lives.
“But this is not one of those cases. He meant her no harm and she was giving him mixed messages.”
The jury will retire this morning to consider their verdict.
