Man sent ‘depraved’ messages to young TV actress

Falkirk Sheriff Court. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

Mark Geddes, 17, sent the “sinister” messages to the actress, who cannot be named for legal reasons. He also messaged three of her friends.

The messages, in which he threatened to stab the actress and taste her blood were sent by “friendless” Geddes over Twitter and Facebook.

Geddes was ordered by a court last year to undergo three years of psychological and psychiatric assessment.

At Falkirk Sheriff Court in February 2013 he was sentenced to a three year community payback order, requiring him to be under the supervision of social workers, undergo under the programme of psychological and psychiatric assessment, commit to random examinations of his computer by police, have no contact with the actress or her friends.

He was placed on the sex offenders’ register for the same period.

Today he appeared again in court for a review of the order.

Dressed in black, he showed no emotion as his solicitor John Mulholland told Sheriff John Mundy that he had been complying with its terms as required.

Mr Mulholland said: “Mr Geddes hasn’t re-offended, and he’s been attending every appointment.

“I don’t see any risk of re-offending, but he does have some underlying issues.”

Sheriff Mundy transferred the case the Haddington Sheriff Court, which is closer to Geddes’ present home, for further monitoring.

FBI investigators joined forces with Scots detectives to track down Geddes, after the actress’s mother told the series’ makers of the threats that her daughter had been receiving.

Miami-based FBI officers alerted CID in Scotland of Geddes’ campaign of terror against the young star and her friends.

Kirsten Cockburn, prosecuting, said Geddes sent chilling messages to the victims, who all live in England, which included: “I’m waiting for her to be 16 till I come for her.”

Another warned: “Her final day is approaching.”

He also messaged friends of the actress: “We will be together in death - if not in life.

“I can’t wait to hear what her screams are like when I cut her open.

“I can’t wait till I get [name redacted] all to myself. She and my knife will go together really well. I can’t wait to taste her blood.”

Geddes also said that he would sexually assault and torture the young star before killing her, adding: “I can’t wait until I have my way with her.”

He further messaged the petrified actress herself: “Do you think I should slit your throat, or stab you in the heart?”

He signed one Twitter message “Mark Anthony” - Anthony is Geddes’ middle name.

He signed a text message saying “She will be dead soon” with the name “Kurt China”.

Geddes admited tweeting messages of a sexual nature and threatening sexual violence against the actress and two of her 16-year-old friends, contrary to the Sexual Offences Act.

He also admitted causing the actress and three of her friends fear and alarm by threatening to kill them all and mutilate the actress in a series of telephone calls and texts and messages and posts on Twitter and Facebook.

The offences were all committed between December 12, 2011 and February 15, 2012.

Last year Geddes’s defence advocate at the time, Kevin McCallum, told the court that his client had a “abnormal” personality.

He said: “It’s clear Mr Geddes seems to have difficulty with issues of showing remorse and empathy.

“But he does have an abnormal personality with schizophrenic traits.

“It does appear there is a complex psychological matrix which has led him into this particularly difficult position and has led to him having difficulties communicating with the world at large.

“Custody may make this position worse, not only for Mr Geddes, but also for the public.

“Reports show the risk of escalation of these offences to a physical form is less likely.

“He commits the offences to feel powerful to remedy his usual feelings of inadequacy, he barely goes out the house and he doesn’t have a friend in the world”.