Woman who stalked Glasgow City Council leader spared jail

A woman who hounded the leader of Glasgow City Council over a housing problem has been ordered to stay away from her.

46 year-old Amanda McCutcheon targeted Susan Aitken for three months with texts and letters and even turned up at the City Chambers in Glasgow demanding to speak to her.

At Glasgow Sheriff Court McCutcheon was ordered to perform 200 hours unpaid work in the community and placed on a curfew.

McCutcheon, a mother-of-two sent the politician a letter with the phrase “I was wondering if you have a death wish” and “You know the old saying Susan, you can run but you cannot hide”.

She also posted comments on social media describing Ms Aitken as “psycho Susan” and told a social worker and police that she was going to attack her.

McCutcheon, from Dennistoun, was convicted guilty of stalking Ms Aitken over a three month period between January and March, this year.

Ms Aitken said when she was shown the letter she was disturbed and added: “ I was taken aback, it wasn’t like any letter that I received before. It was definitely an implicit threat".

The letter, from McCutcheon, referred to problems she had with her home.

The court heard that McCutcheon also visited the City Chambers in February and shouted and swore at staff there.

Ms Aitken told the court that because of McCutcheon's stalking campaign she no longer travels by public transport and never holds surgeries on her own.

Depute fiscal John Bedford asked Ms Aitken how this has affected her and she broke into tears and sobbed saying: “ I have tried very much to remain calm, to not think about it too much, to continue get on with my job, to continue to work with my colleagues and get on with the job I have to do.

“However, it has been very tense, it has been a difficult period for all of us. We have supported each other quite a bit, I thinkI’m realising now as I’m talking about it that it has been very tense.”

In evidence McCutcheon said she had had housing problems for seven years

She told defence lawyer Ian Sievwright: “Byt time I sent this letter, I was so angry and frustrated with the system, the people I had been dealing with.

“I had no option but to contact the leader of Glasgow City Council with an angry letter warning that there was a situation arising and it wasn’t going to be good.”

She was asked what she meant by “I was wondering if you have a death wish”.

McCutcheon said: “I mean does she want to have a death on her conscience, mine. That’s the way I felt, I have been through every emotion, I have felt suicidal, I have felt frustration, anger, let down, all sorts of things.”

McCutcheon said it was possible she did swear at council staff when she turned up at the City Chambers by claimed she went there to sort things out.

But, she denied making any threats to attack Ms Aitken.

Sheriff Lindsay Wood said: "This was a deliberate campaign against Susan Aitken. I don't think against her personally, but in her capacity as Glasgow City Council leader."