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.

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.”

At earlier proceedings, the court heard how Tait created a blog and social media accounts where she would name the men and their apparent babies. One of Tait’s victims – a 40-year-old pilot, told 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. He later moved to Southampton when he received a text message from Tait that she was pregnant with his child.

He travelled up to Glasgow – where Tait lived at the time – on numerous occasions to “support” her while she made a decision on the pregnancy. Jurors were told that the pair went to hospital on two occasions. He claimed Tait told him that she had an abortion.

He also recalled Tait making remarks such as “I would get your chequebook out daddy, it’s going to be an expensive one.” A 37-year-old copywriter, also had sex with Tait after meeting each other on Tinder in December 2017. He was also sent excessive messages and was demanding towards him.

Tait told him that she was pregnant and he attended hospital with her but was not allowed inside. Prosecutor Sean Docherty told jurors in his closing speech that Tait told him: “Maybe I did have an abortion, maybe I didn’t.”

Another pilot, 40, also had sex with Tait after meeting her on the Plenty of Fish dating website in 2018. He said that Tait told him that she was pregnant with the copywriter’s child but changed her position that she “took care of things.”

He also spoke of how she also made an appearance at a football match he was playing in with his friends at Scotstoun Leisure Centre in Glasgow. Tait also created an Instagram account naming him, posting ‘DadOfTheYear’ and ‘Abandoned141’ and adding people from his work.

On Tuesday, Ms Ogg told the court that Tait was expecting another child in October this year. She said that the jail term has had a “significant impact” on Tait’s children.

Ms Ogg added: “The appellant and her current partner are struggling to curb their behaviour.”

She said that if Sheriff Hughes had been “aware” of the impact that jail term would have on Tait and her family, he would not have imposed a prison sentence on her client.

She added: “I submit that the learned sheriff had erred. Had he been aware , he would not have imposed a custodial sentence but a community payback order.”

Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond – Sign up to our daily newsletter here.