Elderly man banned from Thurso after stalking late son’s former partner

A two-year non harassment order has been meted out to an elderly Fife man preventing him from contacting his late son’s long-time partner.

Wick Sheriff Court on Wednesday heard that John Ritchie stalked the woman between April 14 and September 13 last year, continuing to contact her when she made clear she wanted nothing to do with him.

Fiscal depute Grant McLennan said the unsolicited contact started when the woman got back from a holiday on April 14 with an early morning phone call from Ritchie, the father of her late partner. It was followed by another call later in the day.

Four days later, she was informed by a neighbour that the 77-year-old’s car had been parked outside her house and later received another phone call from him.

On July 6, Ritchie again visited her home and was annoyed to find she was not there. He went on to call past her workplace, Mr McLennan told the court.

The following day, he turned up at a croft she has connections to in north-west Sutherland. On hearing of this, she sent a recorded delivery letter to him, asking him to stop contacting her.

Ritchie went on to send two letters to her as well as making further phone calls and another visit to her home and to her workplace.

Mr McLennan said the woman then reported his behaviour to police, who arrested him at his home in Cardenden in west Fife.

The fiscal added that the complainer supported the imposition of a non harassment order.

Ritchie, of Derran Drive, Bowhill, previously admitted engaging in a course of conduct which caused the woman fear or alarm.

Solicitor David Paterson said Ritchie is a first offender and urged Sheriff Neil Wilson to impose a financial penalty.

The sheriff said Ritchie’s explanation for some of his contact with the woman – that he had been looking for petrol – did not stand up to scrutiny.

After reading a background report, the sheriff said he took into account Ritchie’s age and his lack of previous convictions when fixing sentence.

As well as the non-harassment order, he imposed a £600 fine along with a £40 victim surcharge.

The order bans him from entering Thurso or contacting or approaching the woman.

As he left the dock, Ritchie said: “I wouldn’t go near her anyway.”