A prisoner who arranged for his ex’s new partner’s car to be set on fire text her “nee naw, nee naw” as it burned.
William Christie was on remand in HMP Barlinnie when he fell out with the woman over family arrangements.
He then made threats against her and her partner, including that he would arrange to have the man shot and burn his car.
Weeks later two unidentified people walked up to the man’s Mercedes and set it alight.
The flames were visible from the woman’s home and as it burned she received a sinister message from Christie.
Christie, 36, appeared from custody at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit charges of engaging in a course of behaviour that was abusive of his ex-partner by persistently contacting her, uttering threats of violence, making threats to kill and instructing people to set fire to the car.
Fiscal depute Martina Eastwood said Christie and his ex had argued over family arrangements in January 2021, two months before the fire.
She said: “He sent persistent text and voice messages to her leaving a number of voicemails and numerous text messages
‘Explicit threats of violence’
“Two of the voicemails and four of the text messages contained explicit threats of extreme violence and death towards her and her new partner, including the threat to arrange to have him shot.
“It also included a threat to set fire to her new partner’s vehicle.”
The court heard that on March 30 2021 the man parked his 66-plate Mercedes C220 at Templand Road in Lhanbryde.
“At 9.33pm CCTV evidence captured two unidentified persons approach the car and the car is seen to burst into flames,” Ms Eastwood said.
‘He very much now regrets what he did’
She said that the couple could see the fire from their home and added: “At the same time William Christie sent a text that said: ‘Nee naw, nee naw’ indicating that he was responsible for the fire.”
Solicitor Scott McQuire, for Christie, said that his client had been hurt deeply by the familial issues that had arisen following the breakdown of his 10-year relationship with the mother of his child.
He said: “He reacted by leaving a number of text and voicemail messages and ultimately arranging for the car to be set on fire.
“He very much now regrets what he did and he very much regrets the effects that this conduct must have had.”
Sheriff Sara Matheson sentenced Christie to 27 months imprisonment backdated to May 11 of last year.
She also granted a non-harassment order preventing him from contacting the man who owned the car for five years.