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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Mark McGivern & Rory Cassidy

Scots council official banned from approaching ex after three-year stalking campaign

A community payback supervisor has been banned from approaching his ex-­girlfriend after a three-year stalking campaign.

Twisted Ross Beckett, 42, works with Renfrewshire Council dealing with offenders given ­community service orders by the courts.

Now, he faces a ­punishment of his own after admitting a charge of ­aggravated stalking, which included driving past the home of his former partner and telling her he was ­monitoring her movements.

He also harassed his victim’s father. Beckett ­repeatedly accused his ex of being neglectful towards a child and made repeated threats to get police involved with child welfare checks.

A source close to the case said: “Beckett was a control freak and left his victim in a state of terror, always feeling he was watching her every move.

“He wanted to know what she was doing every minute of every day and who she was communicating with. Despite him being the obsessive bully, he would turn every situation around to be her fault, suggesting that it was her who made him behave in that way.

“He would make up dreadful stuff about her being neglectful and being a drug addict but he was always just making up scenarios where he could be a stalker with impunity.

“The reality is that he was driving past the home constantly, abusing her dad and spreading the worst kind of lies about her.

"He was wrecking her life and he has never shown a shred of regret. It would be quite normal for this kind of case to be ­potentially dealt with via a Community Payback Order.

Greenock Sheriff Court. (Daily Record)

“Beckett will be humiliated if he ends up on that side of the fence but he might learn a bit about rehabilitation if he finally accepts the dreadful way he has conducted himself.”

At Greenock Sheriff Court last week Beckett was made the subject of a five-year non-harassment order, which bans him from approaching his ex or talking about her online. He will be sentenced this week.

A spokesperson for Renfrewshire Council said: “We acknowledge the outcome of the court case.”

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