Woman’s ‘terror campaign’ on late husband’s doctor

Glasgow High Court. Picture: Johnston Press

Caroline McChesney, 49, denies being responsible for the incidents between June and September last year.

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard Dr John Maclean’s cars were damaged repeatedly with flat tyres, scratches on the paintwork and abusive names scratched on to the bonnet and written on his garage door and garden gate.

He told the jury he was sent cards with messages. including: “How are you at putting out house fires.”

Dr Maclean, 38, from Hyndland, Glasgow was one of David McChesney’s doctors up until he died in October 2012.

He gave evidence at the trial of Mrs McChesney, who was also a patient at the Turrett Medical Practice in Kirkintilloch where he is a partner.

She is accused of engaging in conduct which caused Dr Maclean and his wife Rebecca fear or alarm between June and September 2013.

Dr Maclean said that after an incident in which his tyres were slashed, his car had to be scrapped. His wife’s tyres were also slashed and her car was scratched. His mother-in-law’s car was also targeted when his wife borrowed it.

He told the jury that on 22 June last year a card arrived that said: “Going on holiday contact you wene back p.s your a dab hand with a pump lol [sic]”.

Procurator fiscal depute Richard Hannay asked: “What did you think when you saw this card?”

The doctor replied: “I was angry, I was frightened, realised that this appeared to be a concerted campaign.

“We [had] now had three cars damaged on at least four [occasions] and had now received a card written in stencilled writing, being posted to our address with the correct postcode.

“We were very concerned as to who might be doing this and what their motive might be.”

Dr Maclean said they then installed CCTV and began parking their remaining car ten minutes away from their house, but that the tyres were slashed again.

The court was told that some of the incidents were caught on CCTV and some of the clips were shown to the jury.Dr Maclean said that in September last year, he saw someone passing the house with a hood up that he thought was the person responsible and followed them to try and find out who they were.

He said he watched who he believed was a female getting into a car and speeding off and was later told that the car belonged to Mrs McChesney.

Mr Hannay asked Dr Maclean how he felt when the police told him who the owner of the car was. He replied: “Devastated.”

Dr Maclean told the jury he had been one of the doctors involved with Mr McChesney’s care before he passed away, and subsequently saw the accused, who came to the surgery frequently after her husband’s death.

He said he had no knowledge of any complaint made by the family about Mr McChesney’s care and they had not criticised any of this care.

Dr Maclean said Mr McChesney had been diagnosed with cancer before he had started working as a doctor at the practice in 2009.

He said: “I remember visiting him in the later stages of his illness at his home and I remember seeing him in the final days of his life as a routine visit.”

Mrs McChesney from Lennoxtown, East Dunbartonshire, denies the charges.

The trial before Sheriff Martin Jones QC continues.