A JEDBURGH man who admitted stalking two women over prolonged periods has received a two-year jail sentence at the town’s sheriff court.

Twenty-eight-year-old Shane Cowan targeted both women by engaging in a course of conduct likely to cause fear and alarm for up to two years in both cases. 

He sent letters containing threatening remarks to a woman and even phoned her from prison when he was serving a sentence, although she refused to accept the call.

The woman called the police in January as she was concerned for her safety.

Cowan started stalking another woman in November 2022 by sending her messages on Facebook and she replied saying they made her feel uncomfortable and asked him to leave her alone.

But when he saw her out in public he called her a derogatory name and when she boarded a bus in June he stared at her during the journey and laughed at her on leaving the vehicle.

The woman went to police and showed them screenshots on her phone that Cowan had sent her and he was cautioned and charged. 

Defence lawyer Liam Alexander said his client had clearly been misreading situations and that the woman had clearly not reciprocated with him.

He added: “He accepts now what he has done is wrong.” 

Mr Alexander said Cowan was serving a prison sentence for another matter which is not due to expire until March 14 next year.

Sheriff Peter Paterson described the stalking in both cases as a “sustained period of conduct of almost two years”.

He imposed jail sentences totalling 24 months which were backdated to July 4. In addition, Cowan was made the subject of non-harassment orders forbidding him from having any contact with both women for a period of five years.