A former Fife football starlet who subjected his girlfriend to six months of controlling domestic abuse has been handed community service after a sheriff heard how injury had ended his career in the game.
Calvin Gray, 25, who trained with Spanish giants Valencia and Villarreal, as well as Dunfermline Athletic FC, became “insecure and jealous” during the relationship.
He “constantly” checked up on the 24-year-old, looked through her mobile phone and accused her of speaking to other men.
Things got so bad she closed down her social media accounts.
Escalating abuse
Prosecutor James Moncrieff told Falkirk Sheriff Court: “He’d be constantly calling and texting her and if she didn’t respond in time he’d question why she hadn’t done so.
“As a result of his behaviour she decided to delete her Snapchat and Instagram accounts to minimise the chances of him being jealous.
“This progressed over time and she would be seeing her family and friends less and less and when there was an arrangement to meet she’d often cancel for different reasons.”
The woman told him their relationship was over in April and she then began to receive unwanted emails from him.
He called her a “slut”, accused her of being with other men, and “generally blamed her for their separation”.
He also wrote her a letter, begging her to take him back and apologising for his behaviour.
Mr Moncrieff said: “She read about a quarter of the letter before she began feel sick and had to stop.”
After further unwanted email contact, she called police and Gray was arrested.
He told officers he had “mega trust issues” and accepted what he had done.
Promising football career ended
Gray, of Cairneyhill, pled guilty to engaging in a course of abusive behaviour, contrary to 2018 domestic abuse laws.
The incidents took place between November 2020 and June 2021 at an address in Polmont, Stirlingshire.
An allegation he tried to stop the woman working as a fitness instructor was dropped by the prosecution.
Solicitor Ian Beatson, defending, said a social background report on Gray revealed he was “a young man who has a number of issues both physically and mentally”.
He said: “There is reference in the report to him gaining a football scholarship in Italy.
“It was actually in Spain.
“He trained with Valencia and Villarreal.
“He thereafter was training for Dunfermline and he was badly injured.
“As a result of that his potential football career came to and end.”
Sheriff’s warning
The solicitor said a relationship Gray had been in since he was 14 years old ended at the same time.
“The breakup of that relationship coincided with the injury and there were also other issues,” he said.
Gray, now a a social care officer with a private-sector Scottish care service provider, was placed under supervision for 18 months
Sheriff Christopher Shead imposed a community payback ordered requiring him to perform 110 hours of unpaid work.
Sheriff Shead warned: “If the order is breached, you’ll be brought back to court and sentenced again.”
Gray was also made subject of a 12-month non-harassment order requiring him to stay away from his victim.
Outside court, Gray refused to comment on the case.
