A “controlling” Dundee cells boss who bombarded his ex with love messages and phone calls during a 30-month campaign of domestic abuse has lost his job.
James Barr, who worked for GEOAmey managing cells at courts in Tayside and Angus, was found guilty of an offence under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act following an earlier trial at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
The 30-year-old, of Orchard Court, Dundee, returned to the dock for sentencing this week.
Between May 22 2022 and December 6 last year, Barr engaged in a course of behaviour which was abusive of a woman at Balbeggie Terrace, Dundee, and at locations in Dunfermline and elsewhere.
He persistently and excessively contacted her by phone and electronic messaging, attempted to control her movements and the people she spent time with, and interrogated information contained in her mobile phone without her consent.
Refused to take no for an answer
Court papers state Barr repeatedly adopted an aggressive demeanour towards her, dropped an infant boy onto her chest, repeatedly attended and loitered at her home address unannounced and uninvited, threw domestic items belonging to her from a vehicle, repeatedly attempted to induce her to resume their relationship and repeatedly threatened to harm himself.
Giving evidence during the trial, the woman said Barr’s behaviour started to change after about six months and he became jealous of male colleagues and her spending time with friends.
She said he harassed her with phone calls and texts at times their relationship was not going well or during a break-up.
The woman said Barr turned up “several” times uninvited at her home and made unwanted visits to drop off lunches and coffees at her work and to pick her up at the airport.
After their relationship ended, the woman only wanted to communicate with Barr in relation to family matters but still received texts and calls “multiple times daily”.
The court heard Barr had been outside her home in his car one night and she told him to leave, but Barr messaged her saying it was “not the right decision stepping away”.
She replied to say it is her life and told him: “You are a psychotic ex and really just starting to f*** things up and just stop”.
In another message, Barr says he does not want anyone else to “ever have you, hurt you, or be the person you go to for anything”.
‘Controlling and manipulating’
The woman said that in other messages he would quote from films that they watched together.
She said he would send “reels of Instas” if she did not reply to texts.
Other messages from Barr included videos and photos of them together and songs by an artist she liked.
The woman told the trial she felt Barr was “controlling and manipulating” her, adding: “I did not realise the extent of it until quite recently”.
Speaking in mitigation this week, defence lawyer Billy Watt said first offender Barr has lost his position with GEOAmey since he was convicted after trial last month.
The solicitor suggested Barr is willing to do unpaid work as punishment and that, though this may be a concern given his previous post and the people he has dealt with, he could be accommodated via an “individual posting”.
Referring to a social work report, Mr Watt said his client’s level of risk has been assessed as minimum.
The lawyer said Barr, who previously served in the British Army, does regret his behaviour and has expressed remorse.
Mr Watt said Barr has suffered from anxiety and depression since leaving the army in 2018.
The solicitor said: “I would invite you to consider Mr Barr has been, to some extent, significantly punished in respect of his behaviour in losing his employment”.
He said it will be “extremely difficult” for him to obtain similar employment in this chosen career path.
Unpaid work
Sheriff Duff told Barr that his conduct towards his victim persisted for more than two-and-a-half years and is exactly the conduct the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act was put in place to criminalise.
The sheriff said: “You had no respect for her or her wishes and would not take ‘no’ for an answer.
“Your conduct during the relationship and after had a significant impact on (her)”.
The sheriff accepted Barr’s expression of remorse and that his crime has impacted his own life, referring to his loss of employment.
Sheriff Duff said his experience of arrest and prosecution has been salutary for him and that it suggests he has insight into his “controlling behaviour and the impact of it”.
The sheriff sentenced Barr to 250 hours of unpaid work, to be completed in six months as part of a community payback order.
He was also banned from contacting the woman for five years.
At an earlier court hearing in April, defence lawyer Alexander Flett said Barr works for GEOAmey and has managed cells at Dundee and Forfar. He said Barr told him he has also worked in Perth.
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