Peanut-in-jewellery-box stalker to be detained

A stalker who followed his victim to Turkey to give a peanut in a jewellery box has been detained in a psychiatric hospital.

Jeronimo Bouceiro arrives at court. Picture: agency

Jeronimo Bouceiro was made the subject of a 28-day assessment order yesterday after Perth Sheriff Court heard he appeared to be suffering from a “psychotic illness”.

Tayside police officer Gillian Farnington, 36, was followed all the way to Turkey by Bouceiro, her former tenant, after he discovered where she was going on holiday with her son.

It was part of a campaign of surveillance and harassment that lasted almost a year.

Constable Gillian Farnington

He left her terrified when he made the 4,000-mile round trip to present her with the bizarre gift of a solitary peanut in a jewellery box.

Bouceiro, 40, convinced himself Ms Farnington found him attractive, and even complained about how much it was costing him to follow his victim.

Solicitor Erika Watson told the court an initial assessment had been carried out by a psychiatrist.

She said: “Dr Drummond is of the opinion that he appears to be suffering from a psychotic illness, which requires further examination.”

Sheriff Michael Fletcher, who had found Bouceiro guilty of stalking Ms Farnington and described his behaviour as “unreasonable”, made the order for him to be detained for further assessment. He will be back in court in a month.

Bouceiro, a Portuguese national from Kinross, was led out of the dock in handcuffs, despite telling the court he was “apprehensive about being handcuffed”.