A brute jailed for domestic violence used a mobile phone provided by prison bosses to bombard his ex-partner with threatening messages.
The frightened woman received 126 phone calls from Brian Smyth on one day alone, Hamilton Sheriff Court heard.
Smyth also made repeated calls to her daughter from his cell at HMP Addiewell.
The case was described by the Scottish Conservatives as “shocking”.
Every prisoner in Scotland was issued with a mobile phone last year to help them keep in contact with family members after the COVID-19 pandemic put restrictions on visits.
The Scottish Prison Service said safeguards were in place to ensure the privilege was not abused, with all calls being recorded.
But Smyth contacted his victim and her daughter on a daily basis despite his former partner pleading with Addiewell bosses to have her number removed from an approved list.
Smyth, 33, of Newfield Road, Stonehouse, was this week put under supervision for two years and ordered to attend a domestic abuse programme.
He was also electronically tagged for three months and given a two-year non-harassment order, banning him from any contact with his ex-partner.
Smyth admitted a course of conduct that caused the women fear or alarm between July and November last year.
Mairi-Clare McMillan, prosecuting, said Smyth was jailed for eight months in July 2020 for assaulting his former partner.
She told the court: "During the pandemic prison visits had been restricted and as a result Smyth was issued with a mobile telephone.
"Since the date of his incarceration he called the complainer continually. She advises it happened every day.
"On October 17 there were 126 calls that she didn't answer. She then contacted the prison and requested they remove her mobile number from their database.
"She did, however, continue to receive calls and messages."
Ms McMillan said some messages were threatening in nature and others contained offensive comments.
Smyth also sent threatening letters and on one occasion told his ex he would "send someone to her home address".
He also contacted his ex during a short period when he was released from custody while her daughter received "an excessive number of calls and messages".
The fiscal added: "Whilst not threatening her daughter, the accused was trying to drive a wedge between her and her mother."
Sheriff Ray Small expressed concern at the accused's record for domestic violence.
He said: "There are at least seven domestic offences.
"It appears two other women before his most recent ex have been on the wrong end of his behaviour."
The SPS was contacted for comment. Last year it provided phones to more than 7500 inmates.
It said these would let them stay in contact with relatives and friends during the pandemic.
Scottish Conservative shadow community safety minister Russell Findlay said: “This scheme was supposed to support prisoners by allowing them to maintain contact with loved ones during lockdown.
“The SNP government repeatedly assured us that strict safeguards would prevent cases such as this.
“For a prisoner to be able to use one of these phones to threaten his female victim is shocking.
“This is another example of the reality of an SNP criminal justice system that likes to talk a good game about victims’ rights and the protection of women.”
HMP Addiewell suggested any calls made after the complainer lodged a complaint came from an illegally-held phone.
A spokesman said: "The prison took action to prevent calls being made to an identified number.
"Our records show that no (further) calls were made to the identified number using an authorised mobile or SIM.
"We seek continuously to prevent illicit items getting into the prison."
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