A HELENSBURGH man who spent six days stalking his former partner after she ended their relationship has been banned from any contact with her for five years.

John Quail made a banner out of a bed sheet and hung it on the woman’s route to work, handed a bouquet of flowers in to her workplace, took her rubbish bins out for collection outside her home, and left more than 60 voicemails on her mobile.

The 41-year-old East Clyde Street resident appeared in court for sentencing on Friday – when a sheriff blasted his behaviour as “deeply sinister” and “extremely distressing”.

Dumbarton Sheriff Court heard Quail’s former partner ended their one-year relationship in early July and told him she wanted no further contact from him.

Michelle Brannagan, prosecuting, told the court the woman saw the banner while driving to work along West Abercromby Street on July 5.

Two days later Quail went to her home asking if he could carry out tasks in her garden, but she asked him to leave.

Ms Brannagan said: “On July 8 the complainer returned home and noticed her bins had been taken out for collection and that items belonging to the accused, which had been in the garden area, had been removed.

“The accused began contacting the complainer by telephone. Not wishing to have contact, she declined all incoming calls from him, but he began leaving voicemails in her mailbox – initially asking for forgiveness and repeatedly telling the complainer that he loved her.”

Ms Brannagan said the woman blocked Quail’s mobile phone, but that he continued to call and leave messages from withheld numbers.

“The content became erratic and at times menacing,” Ms Brannagan said.

“At one point he left a message stating ‘I’m going to make your life a f*****g misery’. In other messages he made threats to commit suicide or acts of self harm and to drive a vehicle through the front of the complainer’s address if she did not resume their relationship.”

The following day Quail handed in a bouquet of flowers for the woman at her workplace, and on both July 9 and 10 he was seen repeatedly driving slowly past her workplace, prompting her to call police.

Ms Brannagan said the woman let officers listen to 62 separate voicemails from the accused, though there were “many more she had deleted”.

Brannagan was traced while driving in nearby West Argyle Street later that day, when he told police: “I’m sorry, I won’t contact her again. I’ve got the hint.”

Quail was brought to court from custody on July 11, when he pleaded guilty to engaging in a course of conduct which caused his former partner fear or alarm, and when a background social work report was requested.

Quail’s solicitor, Kevin Corr, told the court: “He now accepts the relationship is over and is making active efforts to leave the Helensburgh area.

“He fully accepts he should not have acted in this way. When police got involved he realised the gravity of this incident.”

Mr Corr told the court Quail had similar previous convictions dating from 2007 and 2009 involving a different woman.

Sheriff John Hamilton said: “This is a stalking charge. He’s threatened things, but I think those were more histrionic than genuine.

“But we all know this type of controlling behaviour can be more damaging.”

Turning to address Quail, the sheriff added: “I’m extremely concerned about your behaviour.

“I’m going to grant a non-harassment order for five years, which means you do not go anywhere near this poor woman again. If you do you’ll get lifted, you’ll be brought back to this court, and the likelihood will be a custodial sentence.

“It took police lifting you for you to say ‘that’s not right’. That conduct is deeply sinister and deeply unpleasant.

“You thought it was all for the good at the time, but it must have been extremely distressing for her.”

Quail was handed a community payback order requiring him to do 150 hours of unpaid work within 12 months. He was also placed under social workers’ supervision until August 2019