A LINWOOD man who sent intimate snaps of a young Renfrewshire woman to her mum has been spared jail.

Garry McNeill, 33, could have been caged for up to 18 months for leaking the photographs, which he got by hacking his victim’s iCloud account.

But Sheriff Colin Pettigrew said rules protecting first-time criminals meant he could not lock him up.

The woman, who can’t be named for legal reasons, told Paisley Sheriff Court last week her life and business had been ruined by McNeill, who sent a number of photographs of her in “compromising positions” - and an image of her half naked and posing provocatively in a Rangers strip - to her mother.

The Celtic supporter also uploaded the files to her business Facebook page, under the guise of a “special offer” advert on the page, tagging a number of her friends, family and clients in the post, and describing her as “a homewrecker” who lies, cheats and sleeps with married men.

She explained: “I felt sick. That was my business, my livelihood.

“It is now two years on [since he posted the pictures] and I’m still dealing with the repercussions of it.

“There are clients who haven’t touched me [since] as, apparently, I sleep with their husbands. It’s ruined my life.

“He said I needed help but I didn’t need help.

“It was done out of revenge.”

McNeill returned to the dock this week to learn his fate over the revenge porn and two breaches of bail.

Defence solicitor Rhona Lynch said McNeill had been left with depression because of the events which were before the court and had to give up his job as a result.

She asked for leniency for McNeill, whom she said had previously been in a wheelchair due to mobility problems linked to a leg deformation, and added: “He accepts he completely overreacted to the situation.”

Sheriff Pettigrew slammed McNeill, highlighting he had told social workers his victim must have posted the pictures on her own page, and branded him a liar.

He said: “This was revenge for the way you felt.”

He placed McNeill on a Community Payback Order (CPO), as a direct alternative to custody, which will see him carry out 270 hours of unpaid work and be supervised by social workers for the next year.

He was also made the subject of a six-month-long Restriction of Liberty Order, which will see him fitted with an electronic tag. He will have to remain within his Glasgow home every day between 7pm and 7am.

And he was made the subject of a Non-Harrassment Order, which bans him from being able to approach or contact his victim or her mother for the next three years.

Sheriff Pettigrew added: “This gives you an opportunity to make recompense for your behaviour.” 

Sentencing on the breaches of bail was adjourned until next year, with Sheriff Pettigrew saying he intends to give McNeill more unpaid work.

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