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Scots stalker who faked pregnancies to men from dating sites has jail time axed

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Scots stalker who faked pregnancies to men from dating sites has jail time axed

A stalker who was jailed for hounding three men she met on dating websites after lying she was pregnant to each of them has had her prison sentence quashed.

Jennifer Tait, 38, was given a two year term in February 2024 for harassing the trio who she met on dating websites. Glasgow Sheriff Court heard how she had brief flings with her victims and then started obsessing about them when the decided to cut off contact with her.




Jurors heard that Tait lied to her victims about how they had made her pregnant. Passing sentence, Sheriff Tom Hughes told the first offender that the evidence that he had heard in her case was “harrowing” and that her crimes merited a custodial term.

Lawyers for the aviation dispatcher believed that Sheriff Hughes was wrong to impose a jail term. They believed that Sheriff Hughes should have taken the mum of three’s lack of previous criminal offending into account before imposing the sentence.

Her legal representatives pointed to the law that states that first offenders should only be sent to prison as a last resort. On Tuesday, defence solicitor advocate Ann Ogg told appeal judges that Tait’s custodial term did not take into account the “impact” that it would have on her own partner and children.

Glasgow Sheriff Court(Image: PA)

The court also heard that Tait, of Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, had mental health difficulties. She told the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh that a non custodial term was more appropriate in the circumstances.

Judges Lord Matthews and Lady Wise agreed with the submissions made by Ms Ogg to them. Lady Wise told pregnant Tait that she will now spend the next 18 months being supervised by the authorities.

Lady Wise said: “We are satisfied that a non custodial was readily available to the sheriff and that he erred in not imposing it. We intend to quash the sentence of imprisonment and put in its place a community payback order.”

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