A convicted stalker who absconded from HMP Castle Huntly and went out boozing in Aberdeen is “making a mockery of a broken system,” his victim said.
Scott Emslie, who was jailed earlier this year for the “sinister” and relentless torment of his ex-partner, had been granted day release from the Perthshire prison for an appointment with social workers.
The 31-year-old travelled to the Granite City for Friday’s meeting.
But instead of returning as promised that evening, he joined a family member “for a couple of drinks”.
Emslie was eventually tracked down by officers at a pub in the city centre at around 10pm – four hours after he had been due to return to Castle Huntly.
Victim Catherine Tiphanie said she felt let down by the courts after Emslie was admonished for his vanishing act, meaning he faces no further punishment.
‘Gross stupidity’
The offshore worker appeared from custody at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted a charge of attempting to defeat the ends of justice on December 13.
The court heard he had been granted a temporary release on the condition that he would be back by 6pm.
Solicitor Mike Tavendale, defending, said: “There really is no excuse. This was down to his own gross stupidity.”
He said his client had attended the social work meeting but then bumped into a relative.
“They went off for a couple of drinks and unfortunately he did not go back,” Mr Tavendale said.
Emslie moved to open prison Castle Huntly in October, having served parts of his sentence in Glenochil, Polmont and Grampian.
He was previously granted temporary release five times without incident, the court heard.
Mr Tavendale said: “He tells me his mental health has been suffering and he has struggled to get that properly investigated.
“He realises he will now have to go back to closed conditions and that this could affect his release date.”
Emslie was admonished by Sheriff Alan Findlay.
Prosecutors accepted a not guilty plea to a second allegation he behaved in a threatening manner in the city’s Holburn Street by acting aggressively, shouting and swearing at police officers.
Spray-painted abuse on ex’s car
Emslie was jailed for 30 months in February, following a trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis heard how he spray-painted abuse on his ex Catherine Tiphanie’s car and demanded money from her “as compensation for his mental health”.
He sent her sinister text messages, turned up at her home uninvited and followed her on nights out to an Italian restaurant and the theatre.
Ms Tiphanie said she only found out that her stalker had absconded when two police officers turned up at her home on Friday night.
She was extremely disappointed with the news a sheriff had only admonished Emslie.
Ms Tiphanie said she had been failed by the police and the procurator fiscal service in the past and now feels failed by the court system.
“It took so much energy to get [Emslie] to court and to get a decent prison sentence and now he’s been let off here – he’s making a mockery of a broken system,” she said.
She also questioned the wisdom of placing her stalker in Castle Huntly, an open prison, and the decision to allow him day release.
The move has placed Ms Tiphanie in a state of fear since she discovered Emslie was being allowed out.
“I’m terrified to go out knowing that he is roaming around Aberdeen on his days out.
“This is not good enough – I’m a vulnerable female who lives on her own and I’m entitled to feel safe.”
The pair first met up during lockdown but Ms Tiphanie broke it off soon after.
Emslie took the separation badly and kicked down her front door, for which an 18-month non-harassment order was imposed.
Ms Tiphanie previously said he was “counting down the days” for the order to expire, before he began stalking her day and night.
Speaking to the Press and Journal after Emslie was jailed in February, she said: “I’ve had to put up with this for years and it’s only my tenacity and documenting everything that has got me to where I am now.”
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