Crime in Moray: Serial stalker jailed for latest offence
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A serial stalker has been jailed after he continued to contact his ex-partner despite being held on remand at Inverness Prison.
Lee Blackburn bombarded the Kinloss woman with communications, Inverness Sheriff Court was told today.
The 44-year-old sent love letters and made apologetic phone calls after being arrested for frightening her as their relationship deteriorated.
Fiscal depute Robert Weir said the nine-month relationship had ended when Blackburn stopped her car, grabbed the keys from the ignition, threw them away, then shouted insults at her.
Mr Weir stated Blackburn, formerly of Kirkside, Alness, made 15 calls and sent six letters to the woman from jail between his arrest on September 27 and November 20.
He added that it made her feel as she was being "stalked".
Blackburn admitted the offence of stalking and was jailed for five months by Sheriff Ian Cruickshank, who reduced a 12-month sentence by seven months to take account of time Blackburn had spent on remand.
Defence solicitor Graham Mann said the original offence itself was "at the lower end of the scale".
However the lawyer admitted his client's record of several similar offences made it more serious.
Mr Mann said: "He never goes back to any of the women and makes life difficult.
"When there is clarity in a relationship, he does seem to stop himself.
"He made the mistake again of communicating with a woman to apologise."
He added that Blackburn was also serving a jail sentence until the end of the year, imposed after a community payback order was breached by the commission of his latest offence.
Mr Mann said: "His record reflects a pattern of behaviour and he is not getting better."
Sheriff Ian Cruickshank also imposed a three year non-harassment order to protect the woman.
