Darren McVey, a 44-year-old builder, admitted at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Friday to breaching two separate non-harassment orders by contacting his ex-partner between January 5 and 15 last year. The court heard the emails left her in a terrified state.
Emails caused alarm and fear
Prosecutor Kevin Morrow stated that one email contained a family photograph with the caption 'Miss you both'. Another email a week later placed her in a state of alarm, and she was unable to focus on work. The repeated nature of the contact left her terrified, and she contacted police due to concerns about his escalating behaviour.
Previous conviction and custody
McVey has already served a 32-month prison sentence for hounding the woman, which included climbing ladders to spy on her at her Bothwell home. Defence lawyer Ryan Sloan said McVey completed that sentence in May this year but has remained in custody due to the fresh charges. Sloan described a 'desperate' family situation at the heart of the matter, noting it was not the content of the emails but the fact of contact that caused upset. McVey employs 10 people in his building firm, which he continues to run from prison.
Sentence deferred
Sheriff Liam Murphy deferred sentence until next month for background reports, and McVey was again remanded in custody.
In the previous case, the court heard he bombarded his ex-partner with messages between October 2024 and January 4 last year. On Hogmanay, she was making dinner when she heard knocking on the first-floor window of her home in Langside Court, Bothwell. She saw McVey knocking and waving through the window, took a photo, closed her blinds, and called police. Officers found industrial ladders propped directly under the dining room window, but McVey had left by the time they arrived.
