Aviemore man bombarded ex with calls and texts after they split
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An Inverness woman was bombarded with dozens of calls and text messages at all hours from her ex-boyfriend shortly after they split.
Scott Fitzgibbon, of MacInnes Place, Aviemore, was arrested by police on a charge of stalking after four days of constant communication between June 27 and July 1, earlier this year.
The 49-year-old admitted the offence at Inverness Sheriff Court earlier today and was ordered to carry out 90 hours of unpaid work.
He was also placed under six months of social work supervision and has to have alcohol treatment.
His lawyer, David Patterson said the offence was 'fuelled by emotion and alcohol'.
He said: "The break-up was not a clean one and he returned to his old habit involving alcohol which was the root cause of this. The last time he was in trouble was back in 2011."
Fiscal depute Naomi Duffy-Welsh said the relationship broke up because 'she was concerned about him becoming unpredictable and his mental health'.
She told the court: "She was attending her yoga class in Inverness on June 27 when she got a call from him asking her who she was with and to pick up her dog.
"She got a further five calls from him. She asked him to stop contacting her but he called a further six times.
"She attended at his home and he apologised and said he was concerned at losing her."
On June 29, the court heard Fitzgibbon called her at least 16 times and the following day, more calls were made, including a threat to self harm, Ms Duffy-Welsh said.
"He sent two text messages with photographs and a message saying: 'Hope this last image sticks in your memory forever. He said she would be coming with him but she didn't know what he meant by this.
"On July 1, between 4.48am and 5.08am she got 19 calls and 30 text messages, then another nine calls and a text message later in the day," the prosecutor went on.
When arrested by police, he told officers: "I got drunk. All I want to say was there was no threat but basically to apologise. I have no intention of contacting her."
