A STALKER who hounded three men she met on dating sites after lying she was pregnant to each of them has been jailed for two years.
Jennifer Tait, 37, had brief flings with the victims and then became obsessive when they wanted to end contact with her.
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Tait created a blog and social media accounts where she would reference the men and their apparent babies.
She took the men to hospital appointments and created a fake abortion letter from the NHS to continue the ruse against one victim.
However, a court heard that aviation dispatcher Tait was never pregnant nor went through an abortion procedure.
First offender Tait, of Galashiels in the Scottish borders, was found guilty by a jury of stalking the three men.
Her lawyer told today’s sentencing that the mum-of-three is expecting another child with her partner.
Sheriff Tom Hughes stated to the hearing that it was a “complex case” to sentence.
He said: “We heard from the victims and their harrowing evidence about your conduct over a number of years – the position is you were stalking them.
“You caused them considerable difficulties to their personal and working lives as well as their future relationships.
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“The jury took their own decision and took the view that there was no lack of criminal responsibility on your part.
“The jury rejected that and convicted you of the charges.
“I am sentencing this case on the basis that this was a course of very serious convictions over a number of years against three quite innocent men.
“This required a lot of planning on your part and preparation to do what you did. I have to consider the consequences to them.
“I consider that 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 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 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. Mr Snidjer claimed Tait told him that she had an abortion.
Prosecutor Sean Docherty asked if Tait later told him that she did not have an abortion.
He replied: “It was some form of test to see if I would stick around after to support her. That happened on a few occasions.”
Mr Snidjer claimed that he would receive 20 to 30 messages – some unfriendly – from Tait when he told her that he was busy.
He stated that he tried to date other people but was criticised by Tait who thought it was “morally wrong” when she was going through a “rough time.”
Mr Snidjer also recalled Tait making remarks such as “I would get your chequebook out daddy, it’s going to be an expensive one.”
Tait travelled 427 miles to Mr Snidjer’s home in Southampton unannounced later that year and she was not allowed in.
He claimed that Tait waited outside his home for two hours while he ran errands.
During that time, Mr Snidjer claimed Tait repeatedly contacted him and believed there was a woman inside his home.
Mr Snidjer stated that he later had to force his way into his home and had to push Tait out of the way.
Mr Snidjer then phoned a stalker helpline who told him to call the police.
He stated that he was repeatedly contacted on dating websites and by phone numbers with aggressive messages.
Tait also set up a blog which said: “He walked away from her and made her kill her baby and assaulted her.”
Copywriter Robert McKinley, 37, had protected 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 Mr McKinley attended hospital with her but was not allowed inside.
Mr Docherty told jurors in his closing speech that Tait told him: “Maybe I did have an abortion, maybe I didn’t.”
The fiscal added that the victim did not have medical vouching that Tait was pregnant which left him “fed up and angry.”
Tait turned up at Mr McKinley’s partner’s home on three occasions which included two in the middle of the night.
She also turned up at his work which made him feel like he was being followed.
Tait put up a scan picture online which confused Mr McKinley who believed that she had a termination and felt “blackmailed.”
Tait later uploaded a picture on Instagram which appeared to be a baby wrapped in sheets with a dog beside it with the hashtag “baby” and “new born.”
Mr McKinley asked Tait if the baby was his and she replied: “I’m not telling you.”
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.
He claimed Tait told him that she was pregnant with Mr McKinley’s child but changed her position that she “took care of things.”
Mr Harley stated Tait claimed to be pregnant again but with his child which made him suspicious.
He claimed there were “parallels” between his situation and Mr McKinley’s.
Mr Harley said: “At one stage there was an ectopic pregnancy and the baby was gone. As soon as I stopped communication, the baby was back.”
He added that Tait “dangled” the idea of an abortion in front of him and took it away again.
Mr Harley claimed Tait visited his parents house when he was there and also attended his own home which made him call the police.
Tait told him that she got his address after she did a reverse google search of a picture of his kitchen which linked it to an estate agent website with an old listing.
Mr Harley also stated Tait appeared at his work at the airport car park where she claimed to have been walking her dog.
He added that Tait was in her car at his gym car park when she claimed to have been buying SIM cards.
She also made an appearance at a football match he was playing with his friends at Scotstoun Leisure Centre.
Tait also created an Instagram account named ‘AdamHarleyDadOfTheYear’ and ‘Abandoned141’ which added people from his work.
He said: “It was posts about me abandoning a pregnant woman.”
Mr Docherty said in his speech: “In her police interview, Tait accepted that an NHS letter that she had a termination was edited by her and was used to deceive Mr Harley.”
The victim contacted police and stated that he sent so much information to an officer that “crashed her server.”
A joint minute of agreed evidence was also told to jurors in which it was stated: “Recovered medical records for Tait contain no medical conformation that she was pregnant or had an abortion between April 2016 and October 2018.”
Ian McClelland, defending, told the sentencing that his client had significant mental health difficulties at the time.
The lawyer added: “She is now in a relationship which is happy and stable.
“She has been advised that she is now expecting the couple’s fourth child.
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“She is remorseful and regretful that the offences happened – she regrets it ever happened, is a different person now and has moved on.”
Tait showed no emotion as she was led into the cells.
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