A young mum has spoken of living in terror that ‘a stranger in the shadows’ would kill her and kidnap her daughter like Madeleine McCann.
The memory of Madeleine being snatched in Portugal was still fresh in 23 year old Jade Coyne’s mind as one of Scotland’s 10 most wanted men, Portuguese computer engineer Luis deBarras Silva’s communications hinted at snatching her daughter.
She had never met the man and the first time she saw him was when he appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court in 2013 charged with stalking her since 2011.
Even after he was released on bail, Silva continued to text her or message her friends and family with each one becoming more threatening and menacing. One message offered £500 for her head. Another threatened to grab her daughter and take her abroad.
Silva became a fugitive when he absconded to Portugal and only a successful two year legal battle to extradite him from his home country brought him to justice.
He is now awaiting deportation to serve a three year sentence in his home country after being jailed at Inverness Sheriff Court for three years for stalking Jade.
A three year non harrassment order was also imposed on him by Sheriff David Sutherland.
Jade said yesterday: “I have never been so relieved in my life that it is finally over. I had never met the man. He was a stranger in the shadows to me. I was pregnant at the time with my three year old daughter, Lexi and I had no idea that he had seen me and become so obsessed.
“It all started so innocently but since I didn’t know who he was I didn’t want to know. But he became more frustrated and angry and then began demonstrating more and more bizarre and weird behaviour towards me and my daughter.
“I was absolutely terrified because it was someone I didn’t know or had ever seen that was a danger to me and my daughter.
“One message seemed to threaten to cut me to pieces. Another suggested that he would snatch my daughter and take her to another country. That made it all the more disturbing. It reminded me of Madeleine McCann and it was so worrying, I left Inverness for a while and I wasn’t coming back until I had alarms installed.
“I couldn’t live here looking over my shoulder all the time wondering who was behind me and if he was a threat. He had gone on the run and it was so frightening having no idea when he may pounce.
“But now he has been jailed and I can try and live a normal life again. But he will be free in a couple of years. I just hope he is never allowed in the country again.
“He is dangerous.” Jade added.
Silva will now be deported to serve his sentence in his own country.
The court was told that he had first seen Jade when she was chatting with friends in a Pizza Hut in an Inverness shopping mall.
He instantly became infatuated with her and relentlessly pursued her from afar, initially in a benign way but then in a more sinister fashion.
Silva was working in the Inverness area and staying in bed and breakfast accommodation when he saw Jade Coyne, then aged just 19.
The court was told that the 36 year old did not know Jade but saw her in the Pizza Hut on 1 December 2011.
Fiscal depute Ross Carvel said: “However, following this encounter, Silva seems to have become infatuated with her. Over the course of the following months and years he made significant, if bizarre attempts to entice Jade Coyne into engaging into a relationship with him.
“Police gave him corrective advice and he was banned from entering the centre in August 2012.”
The court was told Silva managed to find out Jade’s mother’s name and gave her a letter for the teenager on Monday 1 April 2013 which indicated that he had been trying to find her for 16 months.
The following day Jade Coyne contacted the police.
On 3 April 2013, Police traced and detained Silva at his B & B in Inverness.
He was released on bail but continued to communicate with Jade, with one message threatening to “kick her ass” as he was “losing patience with her attitude.”
He also created several Facebook profiles in an attempt to contact her, frightening Jade so much that she fled Inverness and sought refuge with an aunt in another part of the United Kingdom, Mr Carvel added.
“But she received another message which she found most disturbing with two knives on it “The next time I will see her I will take care of it… piece by piece…but no need to worry I like doing puzzles.”
“Another stated ‘5000 pounds for Jade Coyne’s head! For anyone willing to take the job.’ A later posting made reference to ‘some guy’ being interested and that he would ‘do the job and get me evidence like pictures of it done.’
“Throughout this campaign Jade Coyne never made any contact in any manner, responded verbally or wrote to Silva.” Mr Carvel said.
ends
