A stalker who made his ex-wife’s life a misery for more than a year is set to narrowly avoid a prison sentence.
Donald Lyle may, however, be banned from having any contact with Islean Lyle after a sheriff questioned whether the 29-year-old should be made subject to a non-harassment order.
Over a 12-month period, Lyle bombarded his former partner with a string of chilling text messages and was regularly spotted lurking outside her home.
Ms Lyle had asked the accused to leave the marital home after five years together, when she discovered that he had been having an affair.
He refused to cease being part of her life, however, and over the next 12 months the accused, now of Nether Pratis Farm, Leven, left her fearing for his health and for her own safety.
She was twice forced to move home in a bid to escape his attentions, but on each occasion letters from Perth Sheriff Court relating to their divorce proceedings revealed her new location.
He was back outside her home within days on each occasion, but the Scottish Court Service has denied that any mistakes were made.
A spokesman said: “Considering the large number of cases that call daily in Scottish courts, it is not possible for the Scottish Court Service to establish connections between civil and criminal proceedings.
“If any concerns had been raised in relation to a civil proceeding which requires the addresses of parties to be included as part of due process, then the sheriff clerk could have referred the matter to a sheriff before the papers were issued to the parties.
“Any changes to the process would have to be a matter for the court.”
Ms Lyle’s ordeal started with an alarming series of texts stating: “If I can’t have you, no one can” and “I have a kitchen knife in my hand. This will soon be over”.
Although the police were contacted, the issue was initially treated as a medical matter, with Lyle seen by staff at Murray Royal Hospital.
As the months passed, however, he began to make repeated calls to Ms Lyle’s workplace in an attempt to speak to her.
She moved house to avoid him but “almost immediately” after moving in, Lyle began to be seen sitting in his car, staring into her flat, for up to 20 minutes at a time.
“By October last year she was absolutely petrified and had come to the end of her tether,” depute fiscal Rebecca Kynaston said.
“She felt the need to move once again for her own safety and, after selling her flat, she moved into a new tenancy.”
So concerned was she by Lyle’s conduct that she waited until she knew he was busy at Perth Farmers’ Market before moving, but Lyle was at her new address within three months. Neighbours saw him driving into the driveway and sitting in the car for several minutes, before driving off.
He returned again and again to perform the same manoeuvre until the police were contacted and he was arrested.
The accused admitted that between January 2 and 13 last year, at St Catherine’s Retail Park in Perth, at Kinloch in Perthshire and elsewhere, he engaged in a course of conduct that caused Islean Lyle fear and alarm, in that he made numerous telephone calls to her at her workplace, sent numerous text messages to her, sat in a parked vehicle outside her home addresses and stared at her.
Solicitor Gillian Leddie told the court: “It was a very emotional separation and he did not take it well.
“He accepts that his actions were unacceptable, but at no time did he intend to cause harm to his wife.”
She added that the court proceedings had been a “huge shock” to her client and had seen him lose his employment.
Sheriff Foulis deferred sentence on Lyle one final time, until June 5.