A serial stalker has finally been jailed after sending his long-suffering ex-wife a letter in which he “joked” that he hoped she’d lose an eye.
Christopher Clark was already the subject of a court order banning him from contacting his ex when he sent the disturbing letter, along with a birthday present for his daughter.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard the 38-year-old had previously received community sentences for bizarre and upsetting similar stalking scenarios.
But with community orders proving ineffective, the courts have lost patience with the serial stalker and locked him up.
Fiscal depute Claire Stewart said that in May, Clark sent his mother to deliver a birthday present to his daughter, who lives with his ex-wife.
The present – understood to be a set of water pistols – was accompanied by a letter for Clark’s former partner.
Letter left ex-wife ‘alarmed’
In it, he wrote: “The guns will be so much fun, but if not supervised properly honestly someone will lose an eye (I’m hoping you).
“Mask must be worn at all times (you’ll be fine without).”
The letter left the woman alarmed, the court was told.
The following month, Clark turned up at the child’s school sports day and stood close to his former partner.
Distressed, the woman alerted the head teacher, who spoke to Clark and he left.
Clark, of Hayton Road, Aberdeen, pled guilty to stalking.
It comes after Clark appeared in court back in 2022 for tormenting the woman by sending her messages via bank transfers.
Community sentences have not stopped stalking
Clark used the reference box on the payment screen to send the woman 16 messages, including an invitation to breakfast.
In doing so, he breached a host of court orders put in place to keep him away from the woman.
Clark was originally banned from contacting his then-wife in October 2020 after a long-drawn separation, during which time he refused to believe their relationship was over.
In July 2021, he breached the non-harassment order by bombarding her with dozens of calls and messages and even a video of him serenading her during a 10-day campaign of stalking.
On both of those occasions, Clark was given community sentences, but they did nothing to stop his offending.
Defence agent Laura Gracie acknowledged the previous convictions but highlighted her client had never been to prison before.
She said: “He certainly appears to have some sort of mental health issue. I appreciate he doesn’t accept that.
“Alcohol has always been a problem for him.”
Letter ‘was meant as a joke’
Addressing the letter, Ms Gracie said: “His position is it was meant as a joke.
“Obviously it was never going to be taken as a joke for someone who has a non-harassment order in place.”
Sheriff Lesley Johnston told Clark: “You’re coming before the court having pled guilty to the complaint against a backdrop of a number of domestic offences on your record.”
The sheriff, highlighting that previous community orders had not stopped him from offending and that Clark had shown little insight into the offences, said there was no alternative to imprisonment.
She ordered he be jailed for six months and imposed a further non-harassment order for three years.
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