Man who followed woman driver is jailed

Published on Monday 1 June 2009 19:22

A MAN who terrified a woman driver by following her car for miles late at night has been jailed for two years.

Christopher Magilton, 37, had been wearing a skirt and tights, and police found items including a knife and rope in his car, but a judge said there were no grounds for deciding he was about to commit an assault.

Lord Brailsford told Magilton it was clear he had psychological problems and hoped he would benefit from counselling in jail.

Magilton had been remitted to the High Court for sentence after he appeared at Perth Sheriff Court last month and admitted breach of the peace by following Shirley Rennie's car for about ten miles in and around Perth in the early hours of 24 December last year.

Mrs Rennie, 52, had been making her way home from late-night shopping around 1:30am, and began to panic on noticing a car following her. She drove to another store and raised the alarm with staff.

Police recovered a hunting knife from under the seat of Magilton's car and several items in the boot – a Halloween mask, a woman's wig, rope, sex toys, hardcore pornography, a spade, plastic sheeting, gloves and several pairs of tights. He also had small quantities of cocaine, amphetamine and cannabis.

Sheriff Robert McCreadie said he had concerns about Magilton's intentions and felt that his sentencing powers – of up to five years' imprisonment – were inadequate. Magilton, of Oldham, Lancashire, who was staying in Dundee at the time, has previous convictions, but only for motoring offences.

Lord Brailsford said yesterday he would have jailed Magilton for three years, but had to give him a discount for pleading guilty. He also ordered a year's supervision to follow the prison term. Magilton was given two months for possessing the drugs, to be served concurrently.