A stalker who admitted harassing a bank worker for almost a year repeatedly making appointments to see her at her branch and bombarding her with texts has lost a bid to have his conviction thrown out.
Steven Harper appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court for sentence after he pleaded guilty to stalking Samantha Finlay for a year after meeting her at a Royal Bank of Scotland branch in Dundee.
But in a hearing on Thursday Harper’s lawyer claimed he had suffered a “miscarriage of justice” and said Harper had not realised the extent of the offence he was admitting.
That was despite his previous solicitor entering the plea for him and Harper confirming it from the dock.
Harper, 30, of Burnside Court, Whorterbank, Dundee, admitted a charge of stalking.
He admitted that, between June 24 2013, and June 13 2014, at Royal Bank of Scotland, High Street, and elsewhere, he engaged in a course of conduct which caused Samantha Finlay fear and alarm, in that he repeatedly texted and emailed her, and attended at her place of work, while on bail.
But Ian Houston, defending on Thursday, said: “His contention is that he did not cause her fear and alarm, which is an essential part of the charge.
“He produces evidence that she had contacted him via social media after this was said to have happened. I would ask that his plea of guilty be withdrawn.”
However, Sheriff Alistair Brown refused that course of action.
He earlier imposed a non-harassment order prohibiting Harper from contacting Miss Finlay indefinitely.