Court /

Supervision for man who berated former partner

28 October 2026 16:15

Content warning: This story contains details of domestic abuse. If you have been affected by this issue, help is available.

A MAN has admitted repeatedly shouting and swearing at family members just months after being ordered to be of good behaviour.

Steven Jamieson, 54, exchanged around 150 messages with his ex-partner over the course of a weekend in August, despite being ordered previously by Lerwick Sheriff Court not to contact her unless through a third party.

He had been ordered to be of good behaviour for six months in June, after previously admitting abusing his former partner earlier this year.

The court heard today (Wednesday) that Jamieson, of Quarff, had continued to call her offensive and derogatory names.

Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie said there had been initially amicable contact between the two over Facebook Messenger, but on 15 August his messages become “unrelenting”.

Jamieson was “complaining about the unfairness of the situation” in which he did not have full access to their children, the court heard, and continued to message and call about it. He was also demanding that he be allowed to move back into the family home.

Jamieson reacted angrily after hearing that she had attended a concert, and shouted and swore about this to family members.

On one occasion he arrived at her house and began banging on windows and doors, and shouting and swearing.

Mackenzie said the woman would support a non-harassment order being imposed against Jamieson.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said Jamieson had been “heartbroken” by the end of the marriage earlier this year, and had struggled with losing access to his children.

He said there were no elements of violence, or any threats of violence, in any of the charges.

Allan described Jamieson as an “impulsive” person who could often be “overwhelmed” by emotion, and said he experienced emotional dysregulation.

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Jamieson had expressed his remorse about subjecting his family to this type of behaviour, he said, and said if he and his partner could no longer live together then he still wanted them to be able to co-parent.

Sheriff Jennifer Gear said these were “serious charges”, and said Jamieson had placed his family in “distressing and concerning situations”.

She imposed a community payback order as a direct alternative to a custodial sentence, and placed him under supervision for 18 months.

He was also ordered to carry out 140 hours of unpaid work within the next 12 months.

Jamieson was also ordered not to approach or contact, or attempt to, certain members of his family for a set period of time unless certain conditions are met, such as not communicating with his former partner unless through a solicitor.

These conditions will be reviewed.

If you have been affected by crime, help is available. Whether you are victim, a witness, or the accused, you can find independent, impartial, and confidential support in Shetland.