EX-PARATROOPER GIVEN NON-HARASSMENT ORDER AT STIRLING COURT AFTER ABUSIVE FIRE PHOTO
An ex-Paratrooper made his former partner believe he was destroying her possessions by sending a photo of a fire in his Stirlingshire garden with the caption “oops… still a lot more to burn”.John Britton began abusing the woman by phone after a technical glitch mean he did not receive a text message from her while on holiday in Paris.
Stirling Sheriff Court heard his behaviour escalated, culminating in the garden blaze.
Fiscal depute Brooklyn Shaw said: “The complainer and a friend went on a trip to Paris.
On landing, the complainer messaged the accused to say she had arrived safely but due to a data roaming issue the message didn’t arrive.” Britton became abusive, implying the women’s relationship was a lesbian one.
Ms Shaw said that later, the complainer went to stay with her friend and began to receive more phone abuse, including: “Just to let you know I had a heart attack.
So when you get back, get your stuff and f**k off.
I hope you and your pal will be happy together.
Not.” The prosecutor went on: “He also sent a picture of a fire in the garden of the shared home with the message stating: ‘Oops.
I said don’t come back here.
I had a heart attack and you f**ked off.
Everyone knows what you did.
Still a lot more to burn’.” “This alarmed the complainer as she believed he was burning her property.” Solicitor Stephen McGuire, defending, said Britton was in the army in the early 80s and had suffered a spinal injury, before losing his right arm in a motorcycle accident in 2002.
He said he felt his partner’s friend was someone who had “undue influence” over her but admitted: “He’s made certain mistakes and recognises his behaviour was unacceptable.” Britton, of Strathblane, admitted that between May and November last year he engaged in a course of conduct that was abusive towards the woman.
Sheriff William Gilchrist admonished the 66-year-old but handed him a 12-month non-harassment order banning him from contacting his victim.
