A Moray man who bombarded a woman with abusive messages for nearly two months, including threats to kill and rape her, has been spared a prison sentence.
Andrew Ewen, from Rothes, made 80 phone calls between July 20 and September 10 last year.
Yesterday the 26-year-old was sentenced at Elgin Sheriff Court after pleading guilty to a charge of stalking and engaging in a course of conduct likely to cause fear or alarm.
Fiscal David Morton revealed the messages included threats to kill and rape the woman, among other abusive and derogatory remarks.
He said: “The complainer also showed police screenshots of messages from Facebook accounts under alias names.
“One pretended to be the accused’s mother, the other calling itself Donald,” he added.
Ewen admitted making the phone calls and sending the messages when interviewed by police.
Solicitor Stephen Carty said: “He absolutely accepts that the nature and content of the messages must have been very distressing for the woman involved.”
Sheriff Ian Cruickshank stressed that only the fact Ewen had already spent four months remanded in custody for the offence had spared him a prison sentence.
He said: “The course of behaviour here was threatening and intimidating. I have no doubt it would have caused the woman substantial upset.”
The sheriff added that nobody should have to put up with this kind of behaviour.
Ewen, of High Street, was sentenced to 300 hours of unpaid work and has been placed under supervision for two years.
A five-year non-harassment order to prevent contact with the woman was also granted.
