A jilted boyfriend who refused to accept his relationship was over repeatedly followed his ex on the roads and was even caught lurking on her home roof.
David Johnston hounded his ex with texts and calls too and was often spotted lurking around her Peterhead home.
After the pair’s three-year relationship came to an end last summer Johnston became obsessed with wanting to find out if his ex was involved with other men, Peterhead Sheriff Court was told.
The 39-year-old would regularly be seen outside the woman’s home and place of work and in August 2021 was even spotted on her roof.
Fiscal depute Dylan Middleton said Johnston was heard padding about at 3am.
Head him on the roof
“She was disturbed within her home address by what sounded like somebody on the rooftop,” he said. “He was observed from her window and appeared to jump from the roof and run away.
“That morning he was contacted and asked if he had been on the roof and he admitted he had.”
The obsessive behaviour continued and the court heard of a further argument in October 2021 during which Johnston grabbed the woman’s phone before she had to “calm him down”.
A month later another incident occurred where Johnston had to be moved on from the woman’s home again, this time by her father who urged him to “get on with his life”.
In December he was bothering the woman again, this time following her in her car on the A90 near Peterhead until she pulled over into a side road where he overtook her, scraped his car along hers, shouted at her and tried to jump into her vehicle.
‘Tell me if she is seeing someone else’
“The complainer was afraid and called her dad for help,” the fiscal added. “When he arrived he found the accused shouting at her through the window. He said he wasn’t going to hurt her and would pay for the damage to her car.”
Johnston later told police: “I just wanted to speak to her… just tell me if she is seeing someone else. I shouldn’t have dunted her.”
He also admitted to police at that time that he’d repeatedly called and texted the woman, and attended at her home.
Matters came to a head in January this year when Johnston heard that his ex was now in a new relationship.
‘Absolute sleazy drip’
He sent her text messages naming that man and adding: “How embarrassing. Absolute sleazy drip. Even walks like a drooth.”
An email followed stating similar insults, and four calls to her were made the same day.
“At the time the complainer said she felt genuine fear about seeing the accused,” the fiscal added.
Johnston admitted engaging in a course of behaviour which was abusive to his ex-partner.
His defence agent Marianne Milligan said he was being “picked up and dropped” by the woman and had gotten “mixed messages”.
Mrs Milligan added: “They had been in a relationship for three years and had lived together. When it ended he struggled to accept this.
“He advises me he was getting mixed messages. He accepts his conduct was unacceptable and he doesn’t know why he acted in such a manner.”
Said he got ‘mixed messages’
She said Johnston had not been coping at the time and had been drinking more, struggling with his mental health.
“He accepts he should have reacted differently,” the solicitor added.
Johnston has now given up alcohol and has voluntarily sought out support for himself, the court was told.
Sheriff Christine McCrossan deferred sentence of Johnston, of Wards of Boyndlie, Fraserburgh, for six months to allow him to be of good behaviour and for reports and a curfew assessment to be carried out.
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