A death crash motorist who subjected his former partner to a month-long stalking campaign has been ordered to carry out 120 hours unpaid community work.
Halim Cholmeley stamped on his former partner’s mobile phone before plaguing her with unwanted messages.
At Dundee Sheriff Court Sheriff Gregor Murray noted Cholmeley had also broken the terms of a non-harassment order “almost immediately” and placed him under supervision for 12 months.
The 50-year-old caused his victim fear and alarm by turning up at her home uninvited and storming in without her permission.
Cholmeley – who was jailed for six years for the death of a Dundee taxi driver – grabbed his estranged partner’s mobile phone during a row at her home in St Andrews on July 23 last year.
The court was told he repeatedly stamped on the phone and caused fear or alarm to his victim and two children who also witnessed the incident.
He admitted acting in a threatening or abusive manner and stalking her by waging a campaign of harassment against her between August 31 and October 7 2023.
Cholmeley admitted engaging in a course of conduct by repeatedly and persistently phoning, texting and sending her unwanted social media messages.
He admitted sending an unwanted gift to her work before turning up at her home and entering it uninvited.
He also admitted breaching bail by contacting her repeatedly.
Move away
The court was told Cholmeley, from Angus, wants to move to somewhere he is “unknown” because he featured in the press for his previous offences.
Solicitor Annika Jethwa, defending, said: “He was in the papers at the time.
“When he has stress in his life he drinks.
“He is remorseful, sorry and has no-one to blame but himself.
“Trying to run a business is not for him either as that also feeds into stress issues.
“He was looking to manage a hotel in Ballater.
“His long-term goal is to sell up from here to move somewhere more rural, where he has less pressure and where he is unknown as that may also assist him.”
Sheriff Murray said: “Your difficulties are very longstanding and deep-rooted but that doesn’t excuse what you did.”
Death crash
Cholmeley was jailed for six years and banned from the road for 10 years for driving into a taxi and killing cab driver Gavin McCabe, 41, in 2009.
At the time, he told bystanders he deliberately drove into the cab in an attempt to end his own life.
He took the keys to his girlfriend’s BMW without permission after an evening of drinking and crashed into the side of the Mr McCabe’s taxi, causing fatal head injuries.
The cab’s passenger, Azeez Butali, 33, who was picked up in Perth, suffered serious injuries and had to be cut from the wreckage.
Cholmeley admitted causing death by driving dangerously, and also pled guilty to taking the BMW without consent and driving while banned and without insurance.
After his release from prison, Cholmeley was caught driving without a licence or insurance.
He also admitted failing to provide a breath sample and was jailed for six months.
He was also banned from driving for a further five years, ordered to do 280 hours of unpaid work, and placed on a tag for 11 months upon his release.
Cholmeley has also been convicted of attacking a man outside Forfar Academy by punching him in the face.
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