Stalker who made pillow mannequin of ex avoids jail

A STALKER who made a mannequin of his ex-girlfriend out of pillows and sent an image of it to her has avoided a jail term.

Adamson Hospital in Cupar, where Mark Glass proposed to his ex girlfriend, nurse Zoe Fotheringham. Picture: Neil Doig

Mark Glass launched a “terrifying” campaign of harassment of ex-girlfriend Zoe Fotheringham after the couple broke up last year.

The court heard he had turned up outside her work at Adamson Hospital in Cupar clutching flowers and a teddy bear - then asked his ex to marry him.

The incident followed a bombardment of phone calls and Facebook messages.

Miss Fotheringham changed her mobile number on February 2, but she received a message the following day from Glass – a picture of a mannequin made of pillows wearing her nurse’s uniform and a photo of her face – that led her to call the police.

Glass had twice breached court orders given as alternatives to jail in previous domestic abuse cases, but Glass will not go to prison.

Fiscal depute Sue Ruta said: “Around 8pm on February 2 she and a colleague were outside Adamson Hospital having finished their shift and were waiting to travel him when the accused appeared.

“She didn’t want to speak to him, however he was in possession of a bunch of flowers and a cuddly toy and proposed marriage to her.

“She said no - to which he let out a loud, bellowing cry in an attempt to gain sympathy before walking away.

“On February 3, around 11.30pm, she received a private Facebook picture message from the accused.

“It was apparent that the accused had laid pillows inside her nurse’s uniform to make it look life-like.

“He had attached a photo of her as the face.

“This image terrified Zoe Fotheringham and it was at this point she contacted police.”

Glass also bombarded Miss Fotheringham with phone calls and Facebook messages - even repeatedly calling her mother’s home from a withheld number.

Glass, 20, of Crossgate, Cupar, pleaded guilty to a charge of stalking on summary complaint.

He admitted engaging in a course of action between December 2014 and February 2015.

Defence solicitor Mike Short said: “He accepts full responsibility. This is a case of him not taking the message that the relationship was finished.

“He showed up with flowers and a teddy bear. It was unwanted affection and he hasn’t seen her since this matter.

“It is a shame it had to come to court for him to get this message but he has now got the message.”

Sheriff Elizabeth Munro described Glass as “self-centred” - and blasted him for breaching a string of previous community payback order.

But she imposed a new community payback order with two years’ supervision, £500 compensation for Miss Fotheringham and an order to attend a domestic abuse groupwork programme.