Glasgow stalker who disguised himself as Amazon delivery driver to attack ex jailed

A stalker who disguised himself as an Amazon delivery driver before attacking his ex-girlfriend in her own home has been jailed for 18 months.

Kevin McPherson, 28, started a relationship with Ella McIndoe, 20, after watching her singing on YouTube. But he left her alarmed after he began to control aspects of her life and bombard her with emails and texts.

The relationship broke down but McPherson continued to hound McIndoe, threaten her with violence and even set up a fake account on dating app Tinder and pretended to be her.

In one message, he wrote: "I made a new Tinder for you, do you want to see it?"

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Police were called in and McPherson was arrested and released under strict bail conditions not to contact McIndoe or enter her hometown of Hamilton, Lanarkshire.

But he later turned up at her home dressed as a courier delivering a parcel from Amazon with his face hidden by a covid-style face mask.

McPherson waited until her mum and sister had left the property before he made his approach.

After McIndoe, then 17, opened the door, the thug forced his way into her home, put his hands around her neck and assaulted her.

She recognised his eyes and his jacket while other witnesses were able to identify his car.

McPherson, of Glasgow, denied all wrongdoing and went on trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court.

A jury convicted him of charges of stalking, assault and breaching bail conditions between December 2020 and June 2021.
Sheriff John Hamilton KC said there was no alternative to prison for the 'sinister' behaviour and also banned McPherson from contacting McIndoe for 15 years.

In evidence, McPherson, who is a full-time carer for his mum, insisted that he had not disguised himself and attacked McIndoe.
He said: "The last time I was at her home was in December 2020.

"It was a lot to take in when the police came in and arrested me."

He also claimed McIndoe had fabricated evidence against him.

First offender McPherson sacked his lawyer after he was convicted and submitted a written statement to the sentencing hearing along with a letter from his mum but made no other remarks in court.

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Sheriff Hamilton said: "Your behaviour was clearly aggressive and coercive and you saw little or nothing wrong in what you did and you show no remorse and a significant lack of insight.

"Having a bail order not to contact her, you went to her address while she was still just 17 and waited until her mother and sister went out on the school run and then forced your way in to her house and assaulted her.

"This moved you from stalking behaviour online to actually physically approaching her and assaulting her and that is extremely serious.

"It is clear that she was upset and distressed by your conduct and the impact that it has had on her life, which included dropping out of college.

"I'm satisfied that the custodial threshold has been crossed and that there is no alternative."