Inverness sheriff tells Fort Augustus domestic abuser his wife ‘must be a saint’
A multiple sclerosis sufferer who sent hundreds of offensive and menacing messages to his estranged wife after she stopped caring for him has avoided a jail sentence at Inverness Sheriff Court.
Sheriff Gary Aitken had remanded 44-year-old Jonathon Clay in custody over the festive period after fiscal depute Karen Poke told him of the vile nature of Clay's communications which included telling his wife he hoped she would get cancer and die and threatening to kill her and her family.
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He had warned Clay, of Abertarff Place, Fort Augustus that he could be jailed and criticised him for wallowing in "self pity and demonstrating a staggering amount of selfishness".
Instead he placed Clay under two years of social work supervision and placed him on a rehabilitation programme for male domestic abusers.
But he said if Clay didn't complete the order: "You will be right back in jail for as long as I can possibly make it. Society will not tolerate behaviour of this kind. But your wife seems determined to still support you. She must be a saint."
The sheriff did not impose a non-harassment order in the circumstances.
The court previously heard that Clay 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 last year.
He told police on being charged: "They were just words. I went a bit far."
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."
Defence solicitor at that hearing, John MacColl told the sheriff: "His MS has led to him taking alcohol as a coping mechanism. His conduct was reprehensible and the pattern is concerning."
