A firefighter sent a string of homophobic and threatening text messages to a personal trainer who he accused of ‘getting into the head’ of his girlfriend.
In one message, Steven Walker told the man “look out, fag”, before sending him a photo of his training schedule which the victim took as a threat that the accused knew where and when he would be working.
Walker will be sentenced next month after admitting the offence in an appearance at Forfar Sheriff Court but has been warned that he is in “serious trouble”.
The 44-year-old, of Demondale Road, Arbroath, appeared before Sheriff Gregor Murray and admitted a charge of sending texts of a grossly offensive, threatening and homophobic nature at his home address or elsewhere in July last year.
Depute fiscal Jill Drummond said the victim was a personal trainer who had worked in Arbroath but had never met Walker.
During summer 2013 the accused’s then girlfriend took several private sessions with the personal trainer.
Walker then obtained the complainer’s mobile phone number and a year later, on the evening of July 21 last year, sent the offensive texts.
The first stated: “I just want you to know what you’ve done to me.
“You flirted with my girl of four years, you got in her head, she thought you were all that.”
Walker then messaged: “You destroyed what I had, you’ll pay in this life or the next.”
The fiscal added: “The accused also sent a picture of a fitness timetable which he appeared to have copied from a Facebook profile and interpreted that as a threat, meaning that the accused knew where and when he worked and might intend to harm him.”
Ms Drummond said the victim found the threats “ridiculous and offensive” having been in a steady relationship with his male partner.
“He began to worry for his safety and reported the matter,” said the fiscal.
Defence solicitor Lynne Sturrock presented a medical report to the court outlining mental health difficulties encountered by Walker over the past 18 months and said he was receiving support for alcohol consumption which had been a “significant problem”.
Deferring sentence until August 13, Sheriff Murray told Walker he would obtain reports in consideration of a community-based disposal, adding: “You are in serious trouble in relation to this.”