A Fraserburgh man narrowly avoided jail after hiding listening devices at a woman’s home in a “despicable” breach of her privacy.
John Ross Stewart failed to accept his relationship with her had ended and refused to stop contacting the woman.
A prosecutor told Peterhead Sheriff Court that Stewart concealed cameras in the woman’s home so he could listen to her conversations and keep track of her whereabouts.
Fiscal depute Ruairidh McAllister said the 39-year-old had placed four devices behind electrical sockets in various locations around the woman’s property.
“When she told Stewart she wanted to end the relationship he became angry, punching plasterboard and exclaiming he could not live without her,” Mr McAlister explained.
Stewart spied on the woman’s daily routine, telling her what she’d been up to
Stewart admitted making comments about killing himself, acting aggressively towards the woman, and deleting banking apps from her phone so she couldn’t access their joint finances.
The court also heard that on one occasion – while the woman was ironing – Stewart acted angrily by shouting at her and demanding she burn him with the hot iron.
“She became alarmed and upset, leaving the house barefoot to seek help from a neighbour,” Mr McAllister said, adding: “The police were contacted.”
Stewart continued to ask for a reconciliation and to move back in with the woman, at one point stating: “You think you’re such a good Christian, reading the bible and listening to the bible in the morning”.
The court was told that the woman didn’t know how he knew that because she had started doing it after he moved out.
Devices were hidden in woman’s bedroom, dressing room and hallway
Later, the woman discovered fresh holes in her bedroom wall and noticed sawdust while cleaning her house.
Mr McAllister explained: “She realised Stewart had been listening to her conversations covertly and contacted the police.
“Police officers attended and a further electrical socket within the living room was removed. In the cavity was an additional socket wired in and hanging loose.
“Plugged into this socket was a camera secured to the interior wall with tape in line with the holes present.”
When she confronted Stewart, he told her of two more hidden devices in her hallway and dressing room.
In the dock, Stewart pled guilty to charges of harassing the woman over a period of almost four months.
‘If I send you to jail for six months, you will only serve a few months and then will be out’
His defence solicitor Sam Milligan asked that his client be given a community-based punishment.
Mr Milligan claimed Stewart posed a “low level” of risk, adding: “This behaviour was hugely out of character for him.”
Sheriff Annella Cowan said it had been “quite a sustained, nasty” attack on the private life of the complainer.
She shook her head and added: “Installing listening devices. I gave very serious consideration to sending you to jail. The way you conducted yourself was despicable and terrifying.
“On the other hand, if I send you to jail for six months, you will only serve a few months and then will be out.”
The sheriff instead placed Stewart under supervision for two years and ordered him to undertake “any programs your counsellors recommend”.
A non-harassment order was also imposed on Stewart, of Frithside Street in Fraserburgh, banning him from contacting his ex-partner for three years.
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