- Two years for woman who hounded lovers she met online
A stalker who hounded three men she met on dating sites after lying that she was pregnant by each of them has been jailed for two years.
Jennifer Tait had flings with the men and became obsessive when they wanted to end contact.
The 37-year-old created a blog and social media accounts on which she would make reference to the men and their ‘babies’.
She also went to hospital appointments and, to continue the ruse with one victim, created a fake abortion letter from the NHS.
However, a court heard that aviation dispatcher Tait, of Galashiels, Selkirkshire, was never pregnant and had not had an abortion.
Glasgow Sheriff Court heard that Jennifer Tait had flings with three men and became obsessive when they wanted to end contact
She was found guilty by a jury of stalking the three men at an earlier hearing last month.
At Glasgow Sheriff Court yesterday the offences were described as ‘harrowing’.
Her lawyer told the court that the mother of three is expecting another child with her partner.
But Sheriff Tom Hughes said: ‘We heard from the victims and their harrowing evidence about your conduct – you were stalking them.
‘You caused them considerable difficulties to their personal and working lives as well as their future relationships. The only realistic method of dealing with you is custody.’
A five-year non-harassment order was also granted, which prohibits Tait’s contact with her victims.
Pilot Jeroen Snidjer, 40, told an earlier hearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court that he had unprotected sex with Tait after meeting on dating app Tinder.
He stated that he blocked Tait after receiving ‘obsessive and continuous’ messages from her.
Mr Snidjer moved to Southampton and received a text message from Tait that she was pregnant with his child. He travelled to Glasgow – where Tait then lived – several times to ‘support’ her while she made a decision on the pregnancy.
Jurors were told the pair went to hospital twice. Mr Snidjer claimed Tait told him she had an abortion.
He said: ‘It was some form of test to see if I would stick around.’
Mr Snidjer claimed that he would receive 20 to 30 messages, some unfriendly, from Tait when he told her that he was busy. Tait travelled 427 miles to his home in Southampton unannounced later that year and she was not allowed in.
Copywriter Robert McKinley, 37, had protected sex with Tait after meeting her on Tinder in December 2017. Tait told him she was pregnant.
She turned up at Mr McKinley’s partner’s home three times, twice in the middle of the night.
A scan picture Tait put up online confused Mr McKinley, who believed that she had a termination and he felt ‘blackmailed’.
Pilot Adam Harley, 40, also had protected sex with Tait after meeting her on the Plenty of Fish dating website in 2018.
Mr Harley claimed that Tait’s messages towards him became ‘bizarre’ after he wanted to end things.
She also told him she was pregnant with his child.
Mr Harley said Tait visited his parents’ house when he was there and also his own home, which made him call the police. He also said Tait appeared at his work, at the airport car park, where she claimed to have been walking her dog.
Ian McClelland, defending, said his client had significant mental health difficulties at the time.
He added: ‘She is remorseful.’