A Perth man who shared revenge porn with his ex-girlfriend’s sister and made a threat to spread it wider has avoided jail.
Terence Angus threatened to spread the explicit clip of his former partner across social media.
In a series of angry drunken Twitter messages to the sister, he called his ex a “cheating little whore” and said she “better watch her back”.
The 50-year-old appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted sharing the video on September 4 last year.
He was ordered to pay compensation to both women and stay clear of them for five years.
Drinking led to split
Angus pled guilty to a charge that, by sharing the clip, he intended to cause – or was reckless about causing – fear, alarm or distress to his ex.
He further admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by making threats to his former partner and referring to her in a derogatory manner.
Prosecutor Bill Kermode said Angus and his partner split up “due to the accused’s excessive drinking”.
The court heard after the pair broke up, she blocked him on social media.
Angus began messaging her sister on Twitter in an effort to get back in touch.
Mr Kermode said Angus sent the sister a direct message, saying he knew about his ex’s new partner and was going to go to his house.
She replied that her sister was “happy by herself”.
He sent further messages, which she ignored.
Barrage of messages including revenge porn threat
At around 5.30pm on September 4, the sister got more messages from Angus.
They did not appear to make a lot of sense but repeatedly referred to cheating.
“She will get it tight,” he wrote, adding: “Nothing but a cheap little whore.”
Mr Kermode said: “The sister did not respond to the accused but she kept receiving messages which didn’t make sense.”
In another post, Angus wrote: “She better watch her back.”
“She then received a video from the accused,” the fiscal depute said.
“Straight after, he sent a message stating that he was ‘going to share this all over social media to show that she’s a cheating little whore’.”
The sister did not click on the video, but could see from the thumbnail image that it was sexual.
“She then contacted police and notified her sister,” Mr Kermode said.
When police attended to take statements from both complainers, they noted they were both in a state of alarm.
Angus was later arrested and his mobile phone was seized.
‘Festering’ on break-up
Solicitor Paul Ralph, defending, said: “He had been drinking and festering on the break-up and that culminated in this behaviour.”
He said that although the messages were shared on Twitter, they were never made public.
“That doesn’t excuse what he did,” the solicitor said.
“This experience has given him a fright.”
Sheriff William Wood told Angus: “At the age of 50, you really ought to know better.
“This is really awful behaviour that would have caused both women a considerable amount of angst, worry, anxiety and probable depression.
“They were reminded that firstly this video was out there and secondly, that it was in your possession and you had the power to do whatever you wanted with it.”
He said: “I have given some serious consideration to whether a custodial sentence is the only way of dealing with this.
“On balance, I have decided that won’t be necessary.”
Angus, of Campsie Road, was ordered to stay home for 12 weeks, between 7pm and 7am each night, as part of a restriction of liberty order.
He was also ordered to recompense his ex-partner with £500, and her sister £250.
The sheriff also issued a non-harassment order, banning Angus from going near either woman for five years.
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