A grandfather previously jailed for harassing members of his estranged family has been sent to prison again after sending threatening messages to them on social media.
At Gloucester Crown Court on Wednesday (December 15) Sean Dougall, 65, of Johnstone Close, Staunton, nr Ledbury, pleaded guilty to breaching an indefinite restraining order that was initially issued in November 2010 prohibiting him from contacting a number of his family members. He breached the order between July 30, 2021 and September 2, 2021 by sending his family unwanted messages by social media.
The court heard that Dougall had previously been convicted of 12 similar breaches.
Prosecutor Andrew Stone said the latest breaches relate to Dougall contacting two family members during a period of just over a month.
Mr Stone added: “Dougall posted offensive messages on their respective social media business pages, where potential customers could read the content. These messages were quickly removed and Dougall was blocked from these sites.
“However, Dougall then set up two further Facebook profiles, using fake names and again made contact with some of his family members.
In another social media posting, Dougall stated: “Your police friends have smashed up my home three times in the past two weeks looking for me.
“I am a highly trained military covert strategist and I watched them trying to find me. I have worked abroad and carried out missions for my country.
“You’ve reported me for stuff I haven’t done. You have one of two choices. You get this restraining order cancelled. Or because I know where you live and I know where your work, you will be visited by very nasty people.
“I have spent the last 10 years building up relationships in the criminal world for the revenge that I know you are all too stupid to understand. Your best advice is not to go to the police.”
The court was told that these messages and the previous breaches have had a huge effect on the family’s businesses and the mental wellbeing of all concerned.
The judge Recorder Malcolm Gibney observed: “The background to this is that Dougall continues to cause harm and distress to the female members of his family.”
Sarah Jenkins, defending, said: “While under supervision Dougall engaged well with probation until these messages started. There were not many messages, but they were very unpleasant towards the recipients.
“The case has taken a few months to get to court through no fault of the defendant. Dougall explains that his downward spiral began when his marriage broke down.
“When he was released from prison in December last year he was sent to live in a new facility in Newport. Due to the Covid situation, he was the only occupant in the building and he felt like he was back in prison.
“When he moved back to Gloucester, he turned 65 and received a text message from a family member wishing him happy birthday.
“This caused him to dwell on other family matters and it was at this point he discovered he had another grandchild. It was this that triggered his response in sending the messages and resulted in him having poor mental health.
“While being remanded in prison he has received the medical support he needed and is now on prescribed medication.
“Dougall knows he will receive a custodial sentence today. However on release he intends moving to France, once any parole period has been observed, in a bid to cut all ties with his immediate family.”
Recorder Gibney told Dougall: “You have to learn to respect court orders if you don’t want to spend the rest of your going in and out of prison.
“You have come before the court for 12 previous breaches of the same restraining order. The last prison sentence you received was for 40 months.
“You engaged in activities from which you were prohibited from doing so. You sent messages that were designed to intimidate and cause upset.
“Your actions have had an impact on your estranged family’s health and their businesses.
"In your mitigation you appear to be in receipt of medication and I’ve been told you are in a better frame of mind than you were at a previous hearing.
“You cannot continue to offend in the manner in which you have been doing. Breaking your ties to your family and moving to France may be the best thing for you to do.
“If you have any plans of rekindling any relationship with your family, it is not something that can be forced upon them, it has to be earned.”
The recorder jailed Dougall for two years and seven months and reminded him that the restraining orders remain in force indefinitely.