A Portuguese man who was found guilty after a bizarre trial of following a police officer to Turkey and presenting her with a peanut will now be assessed as to whether he has a psychotic illness.
Jeronimo Bouceiro, 41, Main Street, Crook of Devon, Kinross-shire, was given an assessment order at Perth Sheriff Court on Monday.
He will be detained at Murray Royal Hospital, Perth, for 28 days after a psychiatric report “suggested” he may be suffering from a psychotic illness that would require further investigation.
During a long-running trial, the court had previously heard that Bouceiro had been a lodger with PC Gillian Farnington at her home in the Carse of Gowrie, prior to her asking him to leave.
Bouceiro claimed Ms Farnington had been impressed by him making lemonade with lemons he had brought from Portugal and was convinced she wanted a relationship with him.
The court heard Bouceiro felt “broken-hearted” when Ms Farnington told him to leave her home but he memorised the dates she was going on holiday to Turkey.
The police officer had told the court she was “completely shocked” when the Portuguese national sat next to her on a sun lounger in Turkey and then sent a letter to her bedroom.
Bouceiro had told the court he left a peanut in a jewellery box at reception at the hotel in Turkey.
Ms Farnington had claimed Bouceiro had rifled through her bins and left various notes which made her frightened.
Bouceiro conducted his own defence during the trial and at the end of the court proceedings he bizarrely sang a rendition of Frank Sinatra’s My Way.
He had been found guilty after trial of engaging in a course of conduct that caused Ms Farnington fear and alarm between May 27, 2011, and March 23, 2012, by texting, E-mailing, calling and writing to her, stating he was in love with her, following her on holiday to Turkey, carrying out surveillance in order to establish her address and phone number and watching her.
On Monday, Sheriff Michael Fletcher told he would be Bouceiro be detained in Murray Royal Hospital under an assessment order and subsequently deferred sentence until February 7.
Sheriff Fletcher said: “It’s very important that this assessment order is done properly and not rushed. The 28 days will decide if a treatment order is required.”
Ms Farnington declined to comment on the case.