Denies causing fear or alarm

A TWENTY nine year old man appeared at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Tuesday to deny causing fear or alarm to his former partner by staring in the windows of her home.

Nicholas Gifford, of the town’s Robertson Crescent, denied repeatedly walking past the woman’s address and staring in the windows, as well as repeatedly attending her workplace and staring at her there between 22 April and 7 May this year.

He is also charged with breaching the terms of a bail order by approaching and contacting his ex without reasonable excuse during the same time period.

Sheriff Philip Mann granted Gifford bail on the condition that he must not approach the woman unless in respect of contact with a child and to absent himself if he was ever in the same building as her.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said his client had voluntarily gone to the police after seeing the woman at her workplace. He said Gifford had reason to believe she no longer worked there.

A trial date was set for 6 July, with an intermediate court diet on 20 June.