A prison inmate who wrote to his ex-partner’s dog to get around a court order has escaped conviction.
Niki Lowe, 32, had been served with a non-harassment notice banning him from contacting Kerry Liddell.
But guards were suspicious when they spotted letters with an unusual addressee, Kilmarnock Sheriff Court heard.
Jo Cunningham, prosecuting, said Lowe had the non-harassment order served on him after arriving at the town’s Bowhouse jail in June.
Ms Cunningham added: “On the 15th, 23rd and 31st of July, letters were intercepted and two of them were addressed to Miss Ruby, who is the complainer’s dog.”
The unsigned letters contained self-addressed envelopes so replies could be sent.
Lowe told police he had no stamps and had no idea how the letters ended up in the post.
He said a mental health nurse advised him to write down things on his mind, after an officer asked: “Who is this Ruby?”
But he later confessed, saying: “Maybe it was to get her (Ms Liddell) to write back.”
Lowe, of Galston, Ayrshire, admitted attempting to breach the two-year non-harassment order, which banned him from contacting Ms Liddell “directly or indirectly”.
Lowe was given an absolute discharge, meaning no conviction will be recorded.
The court heard the relationship was “well and truly over”.
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