An Angus couple say they were forced to move after their former police officer neighbour pointed a camera and security lights at their home during a 10-month campaign of stalking.
Garry Gold, who rose to the rank of chief inspector in the CID in Dundee, stalked Murray and Nicola MacQueen at their home in Monikie.
A court found he was aggressive towards the couple and their family, loitered outside their house and set up the cameras and lights pointing at their home.
Gold also repeatedly contacted Nicola’s employer at NHS Tayside and the Nursing and Midwifery Council to make malicious statements about her fitness to work in the health sector.
He sent similar messages to an acquaintance of Murray’s.
‘We felt uneasy in our home – eventually we moved away’
Following a trial at Forfar Sheriff Court, Gold, 59, of Granary Wynd, was found guilty by Sheriff Mungo Bovey of stalking the couple between March 2021 and January 2022.
Speaking after the conviction, Murray, 43, told The Courier the trouble began after a row involving their daughters.
He said: “Until that point, we had been neighbourly friends.
“Through the coming months, the relationship was strained.”
Murray says that at one point, Gold appeared in his driveway with his partner “looking for a fight”.
He continued: “Gold said to me that I won’t win this game as he has 20 years’ experience and knows how to play this game.”
Murray says things escalated with Gold pointing a camera at their back garden along with lighting that shone in the couple’s garden and was activated by their movements.
He said:Â “We all felt uneasy in our home and unable to live a proper family life.
“It caused stress and unhappiness for us all on a daily basis.
“We eventually took the decision to move house in May of this year due to how ill and uneasy it made us feel.”
Former police officer fined for stalking Angus neighbours
Gold was found guilty of engaging in a course of conduct which caused the MacQueens fear or alarm.
Sheriff Bovey found he loitered outside their home address and placed a camera facing into their garden.
The sheriff also found that Gold shouted, acted in an aggressive manner and made offensive remarks and derogatory comments to the couple.
Gold was convicted of repeatedly contacting NHS Tayside – Mrs MacQueen’s employer – and the Nursing and Midwifery Council to make malicious statements about her fitness to practise.
He also sent a letter to an acquaintance of Mr MacQueen’s in which he made malicious statements about him.
Gold was also found to have installed a security light facing the couple’s home which was activated by movements in their garden.
Sheriff Bovey fined Gold £2,500, plus a £75 victim surcharge, and gave the former police officer two months to pay.
The sheriff also made a non-harassment order.
Gold, a former Kirkton High School pupil, joined Tayside Police in 1986.
He worked on the beat in Mid Craigie and later served in departments including the drugs squad and the Scottish Crime Squad.
