Highland domestic abuser jailed after sending estranged Fort Augustus wife indecent, obscene or menacing messages
A multiple sclerosis sufferer who sent hundreds of offensive and menacing messages to his estranged wife after she stopped caring for him will spend the festive season behind bars.
Sheriff Gary Aitken decided to revoke 44-year-old Jonathon Clay's bail and remand him in custody until January 30 for an assessment for a programme for men who domestically abuse following fiscal depute Karen Poke telling him of the vile nature of Clay's communications over a three-month period.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that Clay, of Abertarff Place, Fort Augustus ignored court orders not to contact his wife after he was first charged with sending her indecent, obscene or menacing messages between August 10 and August 12.
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He told police on being charged: "They were just words. I went a bit far."
Sheriff Aitken told defence solicitor John MacColl, who conceded that jail was a real possibility for his client: "Words are very easy to utter. Custodial sentence is easy to say.
"The Caledonia Programme is not uppermost in my mind, custody is. An extensive custodial sentence is very much on the cards given his behaviour and repeated failure to obey court orders."
Ms Poke told the court that over the initial three-day period, Clay's wife received spiteful and belittling texts, comparing her to animals, criticising her weight and calling her a "c***" several times.
She quoted other threats: "You would be better off dead. I hope you have a painful death. I will burn your house down."
Clay also said he hoped his wife would get terminal cancer and his actions were reported to the police.
Ms Poke added: "On August 13, she received a non-threatening message saying: 'I would never hurt you' so she made arrangements to meet him.
"Then later that day she got messages saying: 'I will f***ing kill you.' I am going to kill all your f***ing family. He was traced on September 19 and told police after he was charged: 'I am extremely apologetic. I wish I had never done it.'
"But on October 12, she got text messages from a new number she suspected was her husband. Up until November 14, she got over 400 messages which were offensive and of an inappropriate sexual nature.
"On November 14, she was alone in her house and heard a commotion outside. She looked and saw him in his mobility scooter. He said he had been invited to her house but she replied he had not, filmed him on her phone and police were informed."
Ms Poke concluded by telling the sheriff that Clay's wife did not want a non-harassment order put in place.
Mr MacColl explained: "His MS has led to him taking alcohol as a coping mechanism. I know custody will be uppermost in the court's mind because his conduct was reprehensible and the pattern is concerning. It was not just one domestic offence."
