Dundee stalker jailed for "horrifying" campaign against two women
A stalker who kept two women under covert surveillance for years was today handed a four-year jail sentence.
A stalker who kept two women under covert surveillance for years - and even snuck into one woman's bedroom to take pictures and videos of her underwear - was today handed a four-year jail sentence.
James Don had denied carrying out lengthy campaigns of harassment against two women - but a jury took just 26 minutes to find him guilty unanimously.
A trial was told he had got into one of the women's homes and "sniffed" her underwear without her knowledge.
One of the women, who cannot be named, told a jury she had been left "terrified and violated" when police showed her pictures and videos Don allegedly took in her bedroom without her knowledge.
A sheriff told Don he had committed "particularly horrifying" offences.
Giving evidence in his own defence Don admitted following and photographing the women and twice entering one of their homes and filming inside.
But he claimed he didn't think he had done anything wrong - and even claimed the woman had given him her key despite them only having talked once before.
After he was convicted it emerged Don has a lengthy criminal history - including an indecent assault carried out in England in 1976.
The first victim, aged 36, told Dundee Sheriff Court she had previously worked with Don's wife - but had not done so for several years.
However, Don had continually visited her at her workplace, making conversation with her and "staring" at her.
She then repeatedly saw him loitering on her route to work and became so "uncomfortable" that she got her dad to start driving her to work.
The woman called in police repeatedly because of Don's regular, unwanted appearances.
But she said she was "oblivious" to the cache of surveillance images being taken of her - or the fact Don had been in her house and her bedroom.
Dundee Sheriff Court was shown dozens of pictures said to have been found on cameras and memory cards found in Don's home when it was searched last year.
One video showed the inside of the woman's bedroom - with the cameraman filming around the room before spotting a bra hanging from the end of the bed.
A man's voice is heard to say "smelly bra" - before a hand reaches out and picks up the bra.
The man is then seen to pull it to his face and heard to sniff it before returning it.
Fiscal deputa Saima Rasheed asked the woman: "Do you recognise that voice? Who is it?"
She replied: "James Don."
Miss Rasheed: "Have you any idea how he got in your house?
Woman: "I was oblivious to that."
The court was also shown dozens of still images of the woman - apparently taken of her at work using a camera with a zoom lens.
A series of videos were also shown to the jury, showing her sweeping at the front door of the business she worked at from a distance of around "five car lengths".
Miss Rasheed asked the woman: "How do you feel seeing all these?"
She replied: "Terrified. Violated. Just in shock.
"I can't believe somebody had been in my house.
"I don't feel safe, even now.
"The thought that he was in there, in my living room, in my bedroom, I just don't know how he got in."
The court heard Don's second victim was repeatedly tailed by the creep between December 2010 and February 2016.
Don repeatedly approached her in the store where she worked for her to serve him.
The jury heard that was despite "other staff being more readily available to serve".
Don also repeatedly turned up at locations where he believed she may be and took covert observations and photos and videos of her.
The court heard the woman was completely unaware of the extent of Don's stalking until police visited her and showed her a series of long lens pictures he had taken of her.
Don, 59 pleaded not guilty on indictment to one charge of breach of the peace and two of stalking.
The offences took place between January 2004 and March 2015 at addresses in Dundee.
A jury of seven men and eight women took 26 minutes to find him unanimously guilty of all there charges.
Defence solicitor Ian Houston said: "He is hoping that the period of imprisonment won't be so long to end his marriage."
Sheriff Lorna Drummond QC imposed a four year extended sentence on Don, with three years to be served in jail and a year on licence.
He was also placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
Sheriff Drummond said: "You went to the lengths of entering the privacy of one woman's home uninvited and videoed her bedroom and took photos of her underwear.
"That is particularly horrifying, that you invaded the sanctity of her home.
"It is clear to me that your behaviour has had a devastating impact on these women."