Paisley man jailed after woman opened letterbox and asked passer-by to call cops

Daily Record

4 days ago

John Harris admitted breaching a bail order on two occasions at Paisley Sheriff Court.
A petrified woman was forced to open her letterbox from inside her house and ask a stranger who was passing by to call the cops.
The woman, who was the ex-partner of John Harris, alerted the man who was walking past her house in Paisley's Bankfoot Road on May 6.
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Harris had been made subject to a bail order at Paisley Sheriff Court on November 15, 2024, with conditions not to approach or communicate with his ex-partner or to enter Bankfoot Road.
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The 51-year-old, however, breached this order on May 6 – for the third time.
The procurator fiscal depute told Paisley Sheriff Court: 'Around 2.15pm on May 6, the witness was walking past the home of the female victim when he saw her open the letterbox and asked him to call the police.
'Police attended immediately and the woman opened the door to them when they arrived. She appeared nervous and spoke loudly as if she was making it known to someone.
'She was reluctant to speak about earlier events and so she was spoken to in the living room of the property where she stated that a passer-by may have heard loud voices coming from the property.
'Officers carried out a search and observed an Ottoman-style bed. They lifted the mattress and found the accused lying within.
'The accused was shaken and when officers asked why, he stated, 'I'm scared, I've got conditions not to be near her'. Harris was arrested and taken to Greenock police station.'
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Harris admitted he breached his bail order and that he was subject to four bail orders when he committed this offence. The town's court then heard how out-of-control Harris also breached the court order on April 25 and April 26.
The fiscal depute explained: 'Around 6pm on April 25, the accused attended uninvited to the female's home and let himself in.
'She was in the bedroom at the time and noted he appeared intoxicated and he fell asleep on the bed. She was scared to contact police in case it escalated things and she then left the house hoping he would leave by the time she got home.
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'She returned at 9pm and found the accused in the bedroom.
'Both went to sleep and at 11am on April 26, she locked herself in a room and sent a Facebook message to a family member informing them Harris was within the house and they contacted police. The accused was arrested.'
Defence agent Charlie McCusker told the court Harris has known this woman 'all their lives, since they were 14 years old'.
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He added: 'That is his property in Bankfoot Road and now accepts that the bail order means he can't go back there. He's remanded on this matter and he understands why. He is an addict, he's been on methadone for 35 years. It's an entrenched drug habit.'
Sheriff Clare Arias said: 'What I see from your record is your last three convictions are the same type of offending and are a breach of the same bail order. You know what your record is, it is an extremely poor record.
'The social work department has concerns and reservations about your ability to do unpaid work due to your substance addictions. Over a period of a short few months, you breached this order repeatedly.
'There is no alternative than a custodial sentence.'
Harris, of Kirklandneuk in Renfrew, was jailed for 12 weeks with his sentence being backdated to his date of remand on May 7.