A twisted stalker has been ordered to stay away from his ex-wife and her daughter for life after he made a series of chilling murder threats.
Slaughterhouse worker James Christie bombarded his former partner with increasingly menacing emails and voicemails.
He told her: “I would see you in a body bag”.
And he said he had paid a hitman £2,000 to slit her adult daughter’s throat.
Christie, from Aberfeldy, was jailed for 42 months after he admitted engaging in a course of conduct that caused his ex fear or alarm between July 30 and August 1 last year.
The 36-year-old, who appeared via video link, further admitted breaking a non-harassment order, imposed by Dundee Sheriff Court in 2020 after he admitted a decade-old assault on his then-wife in front of her nine-year-old daughter.
‘I never want to see or hear from him’
Sheriff William Wood told Christie: “Clearly you have perpetrated significant violence against your wife in the past and that’s something the court must take account of when considering the impact of the conduct in this case will have had.
“I do believe that only a further custodial period is appropriate.”
The sheriff imposed an indefinite non-harassment order, telling Christie that he must not attempt to contact his ex and her daughter “in any way.”
The daughter wrote to the court, stating: “I never want to see or hear from him again.
“I just want to get on with my life.”
Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said: “Mr Christie has to accept that there is no chance of reconciliation.
“He knows that his behaviour took a turn for the unacceptable.”
‘Body bag’ remark
Fiscal depute Michael Dunlop told the court the ex-wife, who had been married to Christie for 10 years, was at her home in Perth when she received a bouquet of flowers from an anonymous sender.
She messaged Christie and told him not to send her flowers.
“The accused replied, asking why he couldn’t and told her he loved her,” said Mr Dunlop.
After that, the ex-wife blocked Christie from all social media platforms, although she did not know how to stop his emails.
He then sent a series of insulting and threatening messages, telling her: “If you don’t answer my texts I will come and kill you.”
Mr Dunlop said: “The complainer ignored these emails, which further enraged the accused.”
On August 1, the victim was with her daughter at a family gathering.
“Despite having blocked the accused’s number, he was still able to leave her voicemails,” the fiscal depute told the court.
Eventually, she unblocked him on Facebook Messenger to ask him what he wanted.
The conversation was recorded by her daughter and later played back to police.
Christie told her: “I’m coming to the house. I’m going to show you how p***ed off I am.”
He added: “I mean everything. I would see you in a body bag before you know.”
Mr Dunlop said Christie told his ex-wife he had paid someone £2,000 to come and slit her daughter’s throat and that he would make her watch.
“They were terrified of the accused’s behaviour and genuinely believed he would attend at the house to do them harm,” the prosecutor said.
Unwanted visitor
The court heard that Christie arrived at his ex-wife’s flat in Perth and pressed the hallway buzzer.
He mumbled something before turning to walk away.
But he fled when he saw police approaching.
After a chase, Christie was arrested.
He told officers: “I’ll find out where you live. I’ll slit your f***ing throats. I’ve got a blade.”
In 2020, Christie was jailed for 29 months for assaulting his ex.
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