Stalker who sent undertakers to victim's home sentenced
A stalker who sent undertakers to the home of a woman has been sentenced to a three-year community payback order.
James Leslie, 43, was told by sheriff Martin Jones QC that his behaviour "richly deserves custody".
But the sheriff imposed the non-custodial order because Leslie was the carer for his young daughter.
The court had heard that Leslie, from Strathblane, refused to leave Debra Reid alone, despite repeated requests after the end of a short relationship.
He bombarded her with phone calls, cards and flowers and pretended to have cancer in the hope she would maintain contact with him.
Ms Reid contacted police after the incident with the undertakers at her home in Bishopbriggs.
Leslie accepted his guilt but denied any involvement with calling the undertakers.
But he was found guilty of all the charges against him.
He was given the community payback order with a requirement to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work. He will have to go on a court-appointed programme and will be tagged to ensure he stays in his house between 21:00 and 06:00 for six months.
A non-harassment order prevents him from contacting Ms Reid for five years.
Father-of-one Leslie said he was "in a dark hole" at the time of the offences, having suffered a bereavement in 2014.
He also said he was "absolutely disgusted" at his behaviour.