A company director left a sinister message on the local headteachers’ voicemail because he blamed her for his wife’s ill health.
Jane Husbands and Tina Stones worked together at Dornoch Academy in Sutherland – but Mrs Husbands’s spouse Paul believed her health was affected by alleged criticism by Miss Stones.
The semi-retired operations director of a multi-national food company called Miss Stones from a phone box in the town after he saw her in a new car.
Tain Sheriff Court heard how, in a husky voice, he said: “Nice car. Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock.”
Husbands, 57, yesterday pleaded guilty to the Communications Act offence and was banned from contacting his victim for two years and ordered to pay £600 in compensation.
Miss Stones was appointed head teacher at 258-pupil Dornoch in February, 2015, and the court heard she had been critical of Mrs Husbands’s performance.
When Husbands saw Miss Stones out in a new car on November 10, he phoned her mobile from a call box in the Sutherland Royal burgh.
He then left the message on her voicemail.
It was played at court yesterday and the court was told that Miss Stones was so alarmed, she contacted the police.
Husbands, of Grant Crescent, was originally accused of stalking Miss Stones by conducting a nine-month campaign of intimidation against her between February 6 and November 10.
It was claimed he vandalised her car, made hoax, sinister or menacing phone calls to her home, mobile, workplace and a car dealership.
But fiscal depute David Morton accepted a not guilty plea to that charge and accepted Husbands guilty plea to the voicemail offence.
Defence lawyer Rory Gowans told the court that the background was one of deteriorating health, which Husbands attributed to the poor relationship between the two teachers.
He said: “There was interaction between them over a period of years. Mrs Husbands was then signed off with stress. My client was watching his wife’s health deteriorate and believed the root cause was criticism of her performance by Miss Stones.
“In my view that criticism was unjust. I have also seen mirroring documentation which says the exact opposite.”
Mr Gowans added that there were other health difficulties within the family.
“All this was affecting his health and he made the call which he bitterly regrets. He never had any intention of carrying anything out. The day after, he went to his GP and was diagnosed with anxiety and depression.
“He believes he had a breakdown as his recollection of making it is vague. Their health has now improved and they intend to move overseas and get on with their lives.”
Sheriff Chris Dickson ordered Husbands to pay Miss Stones £600 compensation, and banned him from contacting her for two years.
Neither Husbands nor Miss Stones would make any comment after the court case. A spokeswoman for Highland Council also refused to comment “about personnel matters”.
