An Angus man who delivered a bombardment of offensive text messages to a teenage ex-girlfriend almost 20 years his junior has been warned over the seriousness of the offence by a sheriff.
Darren Williams was also called back to the dock of Forfar Sheriff Court after the reaction he gave to having sentence deferred for reports over the offence, in which he told the 16-year-old to kill herself in one text and threatened to send explicit photographs and video to her.
The 35-year-old, of Spitalfield Place, Arbroath appeared before Sheriff Pino Di Emidio and admitted a charge of repeatedly sending messages of an abusive and threatening nature to his former partner between September 18 and 29.
Depute fiscal Jill Drummond told the court Williams and the 16-year-old victim had been in a relationship for around five months prior to the incident.
Following the break-up Williams contacted the teenager by text and Facebook messenger, sending in excess of 100 messages.
The court heard the complainer replied to a handful of them, but told a friend about them after going to her home visibly upset by their content.
“At one point he intimated that she should go and kill herself,” said the fiscal.
The court was told that Williams sent a further 15 messages on September 29, none of which were replied to.
Among the threatening behaviour was an indication by Williams that he would send her explicit content of him involved in sexual acts with other women.
Defence solicitor Angela McLardy said Williams had met the complainer on a night out when she had indicated she was 18.
“He had no reason to believe that she was younger than that and tried to end the relationship. He obviously accepts that the text messages were sent.”
Deferring sentence until November 24 for a social work report to be prepared, Sheriff Di Emidio told Williams: “Given the nature of the communications which form the basis of this charge, it is a matter of some concern and you should be clear that the courts take a very serious view of this.”
