Earlston Man Sent Threatening Message to Woman and Gets Jail Time

EARLSTON MAN SENT THREATENING MESSAGE TO WOMAN AND GETS JAIL TIME

An Earlston man named Jamie Cairney, aged 36, of Everest Road, was sentenced to 10 months in jail at Jedburgh Sheriff Court after pleading guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Cairney sent a threatening message to a woman at a house in Galashiels on May 24, urging her to ignore a court citation that required her to give evidence against him.

In the message, he warned the woman that if she and her relatives provided evidence against him, it would not end well for them, claiming “it was not a threat, it was a promise.” His lawyer, Mat Patrick, acknowledged Cairney’s remorse, stating he accepted it was an incredibly stupid mistake and that Cairney did not fully grasp the seriousness of his actions.

The message was menacing in tone, despite Cairney's claim that it was meant to dissuade the woman from testifying by suggesting others were lying, which could cause her difficulty.

The sheriff, Sheriff Peter Paterson, emphasized that this behavior left no alternative but custody, warning that tolerating such offenses would jeopardize the justice system.

Cairney’s case was detailed in an article published on March 2, 2023, by the Border Telegraph.