BORDERS MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO 13-MONTH ABUSIVE COURSE TOWARDS PARTNER
A "JEALOUS" Borders man engaged in a course of conduct which was abusive to his partner, Selkirk Sheriff Court has been told.Twenty-one-year-old Neil Gellatly, of Newtown St Boswells, pleaded guilty to the offence which occurred over a period of 13 months.
Procurator fiscal Alison Atkins said the woman was contacted by Gellatly who was verbally abusive to her.
She said: "He was very angry that she had had friends over and was jealous of any male acquaintances of her.
When she went out he would contact her on social media repeatedly.
"On March 26 last year in particular he was abusive and accused her of having relationships with other men and made threats of violence towards the other males.
He threatened to inflict serious pain on them.
Despite her asking for him to stop sending the threats he continued.
The court heard the threatening behaviour lasted more than a year.
The couple had been in a relationship since October 2020 but it was described as an "on-off relationship".
Defense lawyer Ed Hulme said it was client's first offence and said he was "appalled" when he read back what he had sent.
He added: "His own use of alcohol had been quite excessive at the time.
He became jealous about his partner going out." Sheriff Peter Anderson said: "You are a young man and you now need to grow up.
Rejection does happen and it is something you have to get over.
It caused you to indulge in a course of harassment which probably had no foundation to it at all." Gellatly was made subject of a Community Payback order involving two years of supervision and attendance at the Caledonian Men's Programme.
A non-harassment order preventing him from contacting his former partner for the next two years was also imposed.
