Prisoner terrorised former wife from jail

Nov 24 2011 by Alistair Watson, West Lothian Courier

AN obsessed ex-husband who sent threatening messages to his former wife and her family from prison has been jailed for a further four-and-a-half years.

Gary Barron was convicted at Livingston Sheriff Court on Monday of a series of offences where he intimidated his victims while behind bars.

It is just the latest in a string of domestic offences he has aimed against his former wife and her family which include cutting the brake cables on her car and pouring oil over his parent-in-law’s Livingston home’s driveway.

The 48-year-old sent the letters while serving a sentence for breaching a probation order after breaking into a car parked outside his ex-wife’s work at Carmondean Health Centre in February.

Barron had already been jailed for cutting the brake cables on his former wife’s car at the same location in September 2007.

He was jailed for three years after he pleaded guilty to endangering her life and other road users. The Armadale man also smashed the car window while it was parked at the health centre.

Barron also admitted placing a Bible through the door of his ex-wife’s home address with the sinister message “Burn baby burn” written in it.

However, upon his release in June 2009 Barron committed a breach of the peace almost immediately by writing to his wife and was returned to jail.

Then in August 2010 he was given a three-year probation order at the High Court for maliciously pouring oil over his former parents-in-law’s driveway.

But when he breached this order for breaking into a car outside his wife’s work in February this year he was handed an 18-month sentence, to be followed by a six-month supervised release order, at the High Court.

Now following a trial at Livingston Sheriff Court Barron has been told he will have to spend a further four-and-a-half years in prison after a jury found him guilty of sending out aggressive and offensive mail while jailed.

Lothian and Borders Police hailed the sentence and warned that similar sentences would be sought for anyone responsible for physical or verbal intimidation.

Detective Superintendent Alan Crawford said: “Gary Barron was already serving a prison sentence for his threatening and intimidating behaviour towards his wife and continued to target her and her family while he was behind bars.

“Barron subjected her to years of abuse, which shows him to be a cruel and unrelenting individual.

“His sentence should send a clear message that Lothian and Borders Police will not tolerate domestic abuse in any form and will work closely alongside our partner agencies to bring those responsible to justice and offer all the necessary support to victims.

“The force operate a remote reporting system, which allows a complaint to be made via a third party. Anyone wishing to utilise this service can do so by visiting http://lbpcmsstaging/Internet/contact_us/remote_crime_reporting.aspx.”