A Fife stalker bombarded a woman with sexual messages on Facebook after going to her home to pick up a lamp she sold him online.
Robert Barrett, 52, left the woman in a state of alarm after saying he wanted to have sex with her and called her a “slut”.
The woman and Barrett did not know each other before his bizarre behaviour began.
He admitted the stalking offence when he appeared from custody at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court last month.
Accused’s fear due to address being known
Procurator fiscal depute Amy Robertson told the court the woman had advertised a table lamp for sale online and Barrett messaged her and agreed to collect it from her house on November 7 this year.
The next day he began messaging her and the day after he sent another message which read: “Morning x”.
When the woman asked him what he wanted he replied he wanted to “make love to her” with “no strings”.
The following day he sent more inappropriate messages, including phrases such as “I want you,” “want to f***?” and “Please, slut, I want you, please”.
Ms Robertson told the court: “(The woman) did not reply.
“She was becoming alarmed, especially as he knew her home address from collecting the lamp, so she contacted the police”.
Police investigated and Barrett was charged.
Sexual element to be debated later
Barrett, of Hanover Court, Glenrothes, admitted engaging in a course of conduct which caused the woman fear or alarm by repeatedly sending Facebook messages of a sexual nature.
The offending took place between November 8 and 10 this year.
It is a breach of section 39(1) of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010, the offence commonly known as stalking.
Defence lawyer Christine Hagan submitted although the messages were of a sexual nature, the conduct displayed by her client is not so significant the court should determine underlying deviance.
The solicitor said Barrett has had problems with alcohol.
At a further court hearing on January 20, a debate will take place between prosecution and defence to establish whether the offence involves a significant sexual element for him to be liable to sex offender registration.
Sheriff Alison Mckay deferred sentence until this date for Barrett to be of good behaviour.
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