Stalker banned from Highland county “indefinitely”

A sheriff has banned a stalker from a Highland county “indefinitely”.

Sheriff Andrew Berry imposed the order, at Wick, on James McCartney, 58, whose behaviour he described as “outrageous”.

The accused admitted the stalking offence, which occurred between August 1 last year and January 20, while he was living in sheltered housing in Caberfeidh Court, Wick.

During that spell, McCartney caused the woman fear and alarm by repeatedly parking his car outside her home in Wick or driving slowly past it, looking in through the windows of the house and making personal comments about her, attending her place of work and following her to an address in Thurso.

Sheriff Berry described the accused as “a devious individual” and continued his case for a year to allow him to demonstrate he can behave.

The sheriff told McCartney: “My primary concern is for the victim of your outrageous behaviour” and went on to impose a non-harassment order banning him from the county “indefinitely”, and added a condition preventing him from communicating with her.