Stalker convicted over sending '˜death threat' to Glasgow city council leader

An aggrieved woman who sent a 'death threat' to the leader of Glasgow City Council has been convicted of a stalking campaign.

Susan Aitken. Picture: John Devlin

Amanda McCutcheon, 46, targeted Susan Aitken over a three-month period between January and March this year.

The mother-of-two sent Ms Aitken a letter with the phrases “I was wondering if you have a death wish” and “you know the old saying Susan, you can run, but you cannot hide”.

McCutcheon turned up at council headquarters at the City Chambers and “demanded” to speak to Ms Aitken before shouting and swearing at staff. She posted comments on social media describing Ms Aitken as “psycho Susan” and told a social care worker and police she was going to attack the leader of the council.

Sheriff Lindsay Wood yesterday found McCutcheon, from Dennistoun, guilty of stalking Ms Aitken.

He said: “You succeeded in causing fear and alarm to Ms Aitken. You are responsible for causing her distress.”

Ms Aitken told the court that on 30 January she was shown a letter by a member of her staff. She said: “I was quite disturbed, I was taken aback. It wasn’t like any letter that I received before.”

The letter included the phrases “I was wondering if you have a death wish” and “I hold you completely responsible for my intolerable situation”.

The letter, from McCutcheon, referenced problems she had with the house she lived in and not being given any suitable alternatives.

Ms Aitken said her and her staff did not see any other way of interpreting it except as a death threat. She said “it was definitely an implicit threat”.

The council leader told the court of hearing of a second incident in February. She said she “witnessed the impact of it on people” when she returned to the City Chambers building at George Square.

Asked what was running through her mind at that point, Ms Aitken said it “became clear it wasn’t a one-off”.

McCutcheon had been at the City Chambers to speak to Ms Aitken and shouted and swore at the staff who dealt with her.

Ms Aitken told of a third incident in February when she was on her way back to Glasgow on the train. She said she was texted by a member of her staff, who asked what time her train was due to arrive and was told “don’t go anywhere on your own”.

The court heard Ms Aitken had not travelled on pubic transport since, only by tax or a council car, and has had colleagues attend her councillor surgeries with her.