ABERDEEN MAN ORDERED TO STAY AWAY FROM EX AFTER BREAKING INTO HER HOME
A man named Austin Forbes, aged 44, has been ordered to stay away from his former partner for five years after being caught sneaking into her home using a key he had kept without her knowledge.Forbes was found inside her property on multiple occasions following their breakup in early 2019.
The woman only realized how he was gaining access when she caught him rummaging through her handbag at night with a set of keys in his hand.
She discovered that Forbes had retained a key to her flat on Mount Street, despite their relationship ending weeks prior.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told that between January 24 and February 29, 2019, Forbes had demanded entry in anger, forcing his ex to activate a personal safety alarm.
On another night, she woke to find him in her living room going through her handbag, with the contents strewn on the floor.
She identified that Forbes had a key that opened her flat and the communal front door, which he had kept without her knowledge.
Additionally, he had stolen her mobile phone from her bag.
Forbes pleaded guilty to causing fear or alarm, stealing the phone, and breaching a previous order not to contact her.
The court heard that Forbes had a history of similar offenses and was on bail during some of these incidents.
Defense lawyer Neil McRobert explained that Forbes had a long-term relationship with the woman since the 1990s, with the relationship being on-off and rekindled briefly in February 2019 before splitting again.
Sheriff William Summers described the conduct as 'troubling' given Forbes's record.
Instead of prison, Forbes was sentenced to a community payback order of 180 hours of unpaid work and a non-harassment order requiring him to stay away from his ex for five years.
