A Perthshire woman has admitted stalking a former lover by pretending to be pregnant for months and wearing a prosthetic baby bump as part of the ruse.
Jaclyn McGowan, 36, kept up the bizarre pretence for nine months as she tried to dupe the man’s family into believing she was carrying his child.
She repeatedly approached members of his family to discuss her “baby” and turned up at his brother’s workplace appearing to be heavily pregnant.
Perth Sheriff Court was told on Friday that McGowan had purchased a fake baby bump which she was wearing under her clothing at the time.
McGowan’s deception was so detailed that she had even given the non-existent baby a name and was discussing due dates with various people.
She admitted that between June 1 2019 and February 29 2020 she engaged in a course of conduct which caused fear or alarm to a man and members of his family.
McGowan, from Rattray, Blairgowrie, admitted pretending to Jamie Aitken that she was pregnant with his child during the bizarre sequence of events.
Scan photos were sent to ‘grandmother’
She sent him a picture of a cot and requested he give her £300 to pay for it, and told him she was having miscarriages. She also told him he would play no part in the baby’s life.
She then contacted his mother, telling her she was pregnant with her grandchild before sending scan photos and details of fictitious pregnancy-related appointments to her.
McGowan, who had a very brief relationship with Mr Aitken, told his mother her son would not attend pre-natal appointments with her.
Fake baby had name and due date
She also went on to say her would-be grandson was going to be called Noah, and was due on March 28 2020.
McGowan carried on the act by telling Mrs Aitken she would be able to play a part in bringing the baby up after his birth.
She also told Mr Aitken’s brother that she was carrying his sibling’s unborn child.
She admitted turning up at Corrie’s workplace in Dundee “while wearing a prosthetic baby bump” and telling him that he could “play a part in the boy’s life”.
Solicitor Mike Tavendale told the court: “She now enters a plea of guilty to the amended charge.
“Looking simply at the terms of the libel, this is a case which will require reports.”
He said his client had a number of issues.
Fiscal depute Lisa Marshall confirmed that McGowan had no previous convictions.
Sheriff Neil Bowie said: “I can see it is an unusual charge in itself. Sentence will have to be deferred for a criminal justice social work report.”
McGowan, who had appeared and pled not guilty at an earlier hearing, was ordered to appear for sentence next month.
