Academic threatened to slit throat of university chief in e-mail tirade

AN ACADEMIC threatened to slit the throat of a university boss after a disciplinary dispute.

Postgraduate researcher Iain Patek, 49, became involved in a row with Eileen Schofield, the deputy secretary of Stirling University. It is understood he had become annoyed with the university authorities over their handling of a dispute in which he was involved with a student.

He sent two e-mails to Mrs Schofield - who was responsible for staff discipline - from his staff e-mail address threatening to kill her if she ever "messed with him again".

Police and university security were called in and Patek, a member of staff at the university's School of Applied Social Science, was suspended from his job and banned from the campus.

Sonia Kalkat, prosecuting, told Stirling Sheriff Court that in one of Patek's letters, he told Mrs Schofield his threats were an "absolute promise" and that he wanted her to contact police so it would go to court.

Ms Kalkat said: "During 2010, the accused had become involved in correspondence with the university regarding another matter.

"On the date libelled, the accused sent Mrs Schofield two e-mails which contained threats of violence. The first was sent at 9:08 at night on 7 November from the accused's university e-mail address.

"The subject was 'You're an ignorant piece of s***.' The rest of the e-mail read, 'Your disciplinary procedures are a lot of s****. Mess with me again and I will kill you."

Ms Kalkat said at 9:28, a further e-mail was sent with an offensive subject heading. It read: "Schofield, whatever my partner and lawyer discussed with you, remember if you ever lie to me again as you have done, I will come to that university of yours and slit your f****** throat.

"This is an absolute promise. Please contact the police. I want a court case."

About 8:15 the next day, Mrs Schofield read the e-mails and police were contacted. Officers went to Patek's home and he was detained.

Patek, of Murray Place, Stirling, pleaded guilty to committing a breach of the peace by sending the e-mails to Mrs Schofield.

Defence solicitor Ken Dalling said Patek had sent the threats after becoming caught up in grievance procedures with the university about another matter.

He said: "The two e-mails were not 'an absolute promise'. It was a hollow threat. It was his way of dealing with the grievance procedures. He has difficulty empathising with others."

He added: "I would like to add that Mrs Schofield didn't wish to file a complaint and she thought she was just in the firing line because she was sending the correspondence to the student.

"She was essentially the piggy in the middle. He has in essence been suspended from the university campus, and has made no attempts to contact Mrs Schofield since. His conflict with the university continues."Sheriff William Summers told Patek: "I was given information about the nature of these messages and found them to be grossly menacing, aggressive and threatening."

He sentenced him to 100 hours community service.