A jilted lover crept into his former partner’s home and stood at her bedside watching her sleep.
She had woken, startled to see sinister Aaron Nicol standing over her after he let himself into her family home in the dead of night.
He entered the house several times after refusing to hand back keys.
On other occasions he stood outside her bedroom late at night and repeatedly tapped the window.
Even after he was remanded in custody, Nicol, 31, plagued his former partner with abusive phone calls and death threats from inside Perth Prison.
Sinister night-time visits
Nicol, 31, from Brechin, admitted engaging in a coercive and controlling course of behaviour towards the woman between July 18 and September 13 last year.
Fiscal depute Lynn Mannion told Dundee Sheriff Court: “In July he attended outside her bedroom at 11.30pm.
“She was sleeping and was awoken by the dog, which had been disturbed by the accused.
“She spoke to him and he placed a bunch of flowers through the window.
“The following night he attended again.
“The complainer was asleep and was woken by the accused tapping on the window.
“She did not want him there.
“On August 3 she was again asleep after 11pm when she was woken by the accused standing at the side of her bed.
“He still had a key and allowed himself entry without permission.
“He was trying to rekindle the relationship but she told him she did not wish to get back together.
“The accused was crying but he left eventually.”
Abused from behind bars
The fiscal went on: “Another night, at 2am, she was again woken by the accused standing at her bedside.
“He left after ten minutes.
“She had asked him to hand the key back numerous times but he did not.”
Ms Mannion said Nicol repeatedly hurled foul-mouthed abuse at his ex and accused her of cheating on him with other men.
He told her she was “driving me insane” and called her “a heartless bitch.”
Nicol continued turning up at the house late at night and when he was remanded to jail he began to make abusive calls which were left as voicemails.
The court was told he made more than 30 “mostly abusive” phone calls and told her: “I will f***ing kill you when I get out, bitch.”
Solicitor Doug McConnell, defending, said: “He apologises to her.
“The relationship is now over. His behaviour simply cannot happen.
“It will have had a significant impact upon her.”
Nicol was ordered to stay away from his victim and sentence was deferred for the preparation of background reports.
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