A farm worker snapped his ex-lover’s mobile phone in half after she began sending “malicious” messages to his wife.
Catalin Mitrica lost his temper when he confronted his former girlfriend in her caravan at the Perthshire soft fruit farm where they both worked.
She called police after he grabbed her phone and pulled it apart in his hands.
The 28-year-old father-of-one appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive way, likely to cause fear or alarm, at Stewart of Tayside’s Tofthill Farm, near Glencarse, on June 8 last year.
He was ordered to pay compensation for the broken phone.
Phone was damaged ‘beyond repair’
Fiscal depute Rebecca Kynaston told the court: “The complainer in this case is a Bulgarian farm worker.
“There had been some issues between her and the accused.”
The prosecutor said: “The accused approached her at her caravan.
“He seized her mobile phone and it appears that he snapped it in half before throwing it to the ground.
“The phone, which had a value of about £100, was damaged beyond repair.”
The woman called police and Mitrica was traced at the farm.
When cautioned and charged, he initially denied the offence. He told officers: “I didn’t do it.”
Messages were ‘out of malice’
Solicitor Steve Lafferty, defending, said: “My client is 28 and married with one child.
“The complainer was a work colleague who had been causing difficulties for Mr Mitrica.
“He had been in a relationship with this woman.
“She started sending various text messages to his wife.
“These messages came after the issue had been resolved and he had reconciled with his wife.”
Mr Lafferty said: “His position was that she was sending these messages out of malice.
“He accepts that he damaged the phone and he is willing to pay compensation.”
Sheriff David Mackie told Mitrica: “It is a pity you come before the court for something like this.
“I will order you to pay restitution of £100.”
