EDDIE MCGARRELL OF GLASGOW: FROM PUBLIC SERVICE HERO TO SERIAL STALKER AND ABUSER
In June 2017, Eddie McGarrell escaped from prison and was subsequently sentenced to the maximum penalty of 300 hours of unpaid work.Earlier, in May 2017, a chilling case emerged involving McGarrell, a paramedic from Glasgow, who was exposed as the mastermind behind a prolonged campaign of terror against a woman named Pauline.
Pauline, who lived in constant fear of her faceless stalker, dubbed him the 'Big Bad Wolf' and described how he repeatedly harassed her with threatening texts, claiming to watch her every move and insulting her with derogatory comments like calling her a 'fat cow.' At one point, he mimicked a ticking clock: 'Tic tic tic tic tic,' and closed another abusive message with: 'Lots of love, the Big Bad Wolf.' Her tormentor warned her that her cars would be vandalized, which subsequently occurred, with one being attacked with a hammer and covered in corrosive liquid.
Fearing for her safety, Pauline took measures such as installing CCTV, carrying an attack alarm, and teaching her five-year-old emergency drills to prepare for a potential intruder, including locking himself in an upstairs room.
During this period of intense fear, Pauline found some solace in her ex-boyfriend, the respected 999 paramedic Eddie McGarrell, aged 53.
He told her that her anonymous calls and texts might be from gangsters.
However, suspicion grew when Pauline began to believe that her tormentor was not an anonymous threat but McGarrell himself.
She alleges that once she confronted him, he began openly stalking her at her home and workplace.
McGarrell led a double life—working as a paramedic who saved lives daily while allegedly abusing women in his personal life.
His true nature was uncovered last week when he pleaded guilty to five charges involving Pauline and another ex-partner.
He is set to be sentenced next month.
In an interview with the Record, Pauline, now 44, recounted the horror: 'What this man put my family, my little boy, and me through was horrendous.
No mother should have to teach her five-year-old emergency drills like calling 999 and locking himself in a room if a 'bad man' tries to get into the house.
He instilled terror in our family.' She expressed embarrassment over trusting him despite feeling streetwise, but emphasized that her priority was preventing him from harming others in the future.
At Glasgow Sheriff Court, McGarrell admitted to frightening Pauline between May 2014 and August 2015 by repeatedly appearing at her work and home and refusing to leave when she wanted to end their relationship.
He denied several assault charges, including an attempt to throttle her, which prosecutors accepted.
McGarrell also admitted assaulting his first partner, a nurse, by dragging her into his car and threatening her between June and December 1995.
He pleaded guilty to injuring her in 2012 by kicking her while she was holding her toddler and also admitted kicking her daughter that same year.
Further, he admitted to causing the nurse to fear and alarm through calls and texts threatening self-harm if she ended their relationship, between October 2010 and February 2012.
Prosecutors accepted his pleas of not guilty to more severe charges, including throttling, pushing a glass into her face, and other assaults committed from 1995 to 2001.
A charge of him threatening to crash his car into a wall to kill himself and the nurse was dropped.
The unidentified nurse described how McGarrell’s abuse began shortly after their initial meeting in 1995.
She revealed that he would punish her and his pet cat by locking her in a cupboard, kicking the cat, and eventually forcing her to surrender the animal to a shelter through emotional blackmail.
He also threatened suicide frequently, accusing her of infidelity after a rare night out, and didn’t allow her contact with family or friends, leading to social isolation.
Despite breaks in their relationship, she felt she could never truly escape his grasp or move on.
She described him as constantly present, appearing unexpectedly around corners.
McGarrell was given a suspended sentence in 2015 for threatening and abusive behaviour and was finally prohibited from approaching her.
His employment history includes being sacked from the Scottish Ambulance Service in 2004 after allegedly attacking a member of the public during an emergency call, a claim he denied.
He continued working as a private medic at public events, as well as a health and safety adviser and taxi driver in recent years.
Despite multiple requests, McGarrell did not respond for comment.
