A Fife cleaner with a “bad crush” on a doctor left an envelope containing a love letter and £1,000 on his car windscreen during a five-year period in which she stalked him.
Mary Jane Blyth, who was a cleaner at Dalgety Bay Medical Centre, bombarded her victim with unwanted text messages and voicemails, including one claiming she had spiritual readings telling her they loved each other.
She told the GP she would leave her husband for him, despite his repeated requests for her to stop contact.
Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard Blyth, 68, had found his number on a surgery notice board for out-of-hours services.
When she was finally interviewed by police she told officers: “I did not think it was stalking. He just needed to be honest with me”.
Blyth, of Spencerfield Road, Inverkeithing, appeared in the dock for sentencing after earlier pleading guilty to stalking the man by causing fear or alarm between March 5 2019 and July 5 this year.
Her defence lawyer had suggested a financial penalty as punishment but Sheriff Susan Duff told Blyth the case was “far too serious” for that.
She imposed 200 hours unpaid work and banned her from contacting her victim for five years.
Persistent phone calls
Prosecutor Azrah Yousaf told the court Blyth knew the doctor through working at the health centre and he had helped her and her son with passport applications some time between March and July in 2018.
The fiscal depute said: “On March 5 he received a text saying, ‘I have had a bad crush on you but I am over it’.”
The court heard she sent an apology message to him the next day and he replied to accept it but made clear she should cease all contact and delete his number, stating it was “not appropriate” for her to text him.
She agreed and claimed she had deleted his number but in October that year messaged him again asking to speak.
The doctor reiterated the need for her to cease contact and said he would be blocking her number.
She promised he would not hear from her again but in February 2020 he received another text and blocked the number without replying.
In early April that year she sent him a “viral comedy video” on WhatsApp and he replied with a request for her not to contact him.
Once again Blyth said she would not send him any more messages or talk to him.
However, in December 2022 the doctor received a call which he answered and upon recognising Blyth’s voice, told her it was inappropriate before she could start a conversation.
Envelope of cash left on car
The fiscal said that in June last year the doctor found an envelope addressed to him on his car windscreen.
Ms Yousaf continued: “Within the envelope was a love letter written on a piece of card and another envelope in there which the complainer did not open but reported the matter to police.
“Police later did open the second envelope and it contained £1,000.”
The court heard Blyth, having been told on the phone by her victim this had been handed to police, called the authorities herself the next day to tell them what she had done.
“It was thereafter explained to the call adviser she had a crush on the complainer and had got a bit obsessive over it.
“She stated she believed the complainer thought she was a stalker.”
Blyth admitted waiting a distance from the doctor’s car to ensure he got the envelope.
She indicated she had previously sent him messages telling him how much she fancies him, cared for him, and loved him.
The court heard the money was later returned to her by police.
Spiritual readings
Ms Yousaf said that between April 2023 and July this year Blyth left 16 voicemail messages on the doctor’s phone.
The fiscal said: “Some of the voicemails were found to update him on her recent life experiences.
“On August 28 2023 she sent the complainer a voicemail stating he had never given her closure, before revealing she had spiritual readings telling her they both loved one another.”
In another voicemail in March this year she said if he wished to pursue a relationship she would leave her husband.
Interviewed by police in July, Blyth said: “I did not think it was stalking.
“He just needed to be honest with me. I will not do it again”.
Victim’s ‘immense distress’
Defence lawyer Alexander Flett said first offender Blyth appeared to have “taken a telling” and not contacted the man for long periods within the period on the charge.
The solicitor said: “It does appear to be something of an infatuation and it’s fair to say she did not intend to cause any distress but did cause distress.”
He highlighted a social work report which concluded the risk of re-offending and the risk to the general public are considered to be low.
Sheriff Duff told Blyth: “This conduct persisted for a period of five years, with your victim not knowing when or if you would be in contact and this undoubtedly caused him immense distress for the whole period.”
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