An oil worker based in Houston has gone on trial in Aberdeen accused of stalking his former boss.
Warren Anderson, 41, hired Wayne Ledingham to work in the Texas office of GOT Services when he was serving with the company as managing director.
However, it is alleged that, between leaving the company in October 2014 and August 2016, Ledingham stalked him by persistently messaging him and setting up social media accounts which he used to contact him and accuse him of dishonesty.
Mr Anderson appeared in Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday to give evidence against his former colleague.
He claimed Ledingham, aged 50, was dismissed from GOT Services after it became clear he had set up another company without telling his employers.
He said: “I had just come back from holiday when I saw Wayne had set up another company behind our backs, he said he had done it on behalf of someone else.”
Mr Anderson added that, during the following year, Ledingham sent him texts and emails threatening to expose him a fraudster and later set up a Twitter account with the handle GOTFraudwarren which he used to contact people close to his business claiming he had committed banking fraud.
Fiscal depute Kelly Mitchell asked him how often he received messages.
He said: “Quite often.”
She then asked: “More than once a day?”
He replied: “Not that often, no.”
He added he had instructed a lawyer to contact Ledingham in August 2015, urging him to desist, but he was messaged by him again later in the year.
The court heard that he had handed over the emails, text messages and activity on social media which he had sent to the police in January 2016.
Miss Mitchell asked him whether the messages he received had an impact on his life.
He said: “Yes, it’s been intimidating, threatening and damaging.”
Ledingham, whose address was given as Farmers Hall in Aberdeen, denies the charge against him.
The trial, before Sheriff Margaret Hodge, will resume in March.
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