A twisted stalker who terrorised villagers in a poison pen campaign has avoided jail.
Forestry worker Ed Glenwright circulated scores of menacing emails to people in Moffat, Dumfriesshire, after he was sacked from a local woodland group.
Glenwright sent threatening messages and falsely accused two trustees of Moffat Community Woodlands of being paedophiles.
The 46-year-old, who was employed in October 2016 but sacked nine months later, sent some letters in which he threatened to kill trustees and throw acid in their faces.
Glenwright, 46, created an atmosphere of fear and suspicion that divided the community, using personal details about victims to make it appear that other residents were conspiring against them.
The poisonous campaign involved more than 100 fake Facebook profiles being made up, all used to circulate false statements about trustees.
The email name “Voice of Moffat” was used at first before emails mimicking real people were introduced.
Yesterday, Glenwright was told he could have been jailed but instead was hit with a £1000 fine and told to pay £2000 compensation to his victims.
The thug appeared at Dumfries Sheriff Court yesterday for sentencing after earlier pleading guilty to two charges in breach of the Communications Act 2003 for offences carried out between September 2017 and December 2018.
The court accepted not guilty pleas to four other charges.
His lawyer, Vicky Urquhart, agreed in court that his behaviour “became obsessive towards them (the victims)”.
Sheriff Brian Mohan tore into Glenwright, who now has businesses in England as a beekeeper and a tree surgeon.
He said: “This is absolutely appalling behaviour.
“It was calculated by creating these false emails and with the matter remaining undetected.
“There’s an explanation given about the background which your solicitor says caused you worry because of information about you, but that falls flat on its face when you consider the damage to the woman concerned who was a working colleague.”
Glenwright, now living in Kent, was ordered to pay £1000 each in compensation to victims Jon Haydon and Amanda Layden, plus a £1000 fine.
The court was told that Glenwright, who earns £4000 per month, has been taking medication and receiving counselling to treat mental health problems.
After his conviction, Glenwright told the Daily Record: “I’m genuinely very sorry for what I did.
“I did some terrible things and I am ashamed and remorseful.
“I regret all my actions and any suffering I caused.”
