Man handed restraining order after making mum’s life ‘living hell’ over smoking

A pub landlord has been granted a restraining order against a former neighbour who made her life a ‘living hell’ in a row over smoking.

Paul Richardson previously lived in a flat above the Old Swan pub in Paisley, Scotland, where Jacqueline McCaig was landlord.

He complained to bar staff about a customer smoking in the doorway of his flat, which spiralled into a campaign of harassment against the mum.

Eventually he was charged and pleaded guilty to a part in an altercation that saw him shout, swear and make threats of violence.

Jacqueline explained: ‘He seemed to think that because I ran the pub, I could get the charges against him dropped, something that I had no control over whatsoever.

‘He started out quite reasonable, but this changed, and he became more intimidating.

”He’d be waiting for me to open up in the morning or standing outside as I locked up at night.

‘His actions put me on edge and made me feel very uncomfortable.

‘On one occasion he stood across the street in the pouring rain taking pictures for five and half hours.

”He also came into the pub and tried to order a drink, despite knowing he had been banned.

”I felt as though he was targeting me, my female staff and my business.

”I genuinely thought I was going to be seriously harmed by him at some point. That’s how scared I felt.

‘My life became a living hell – I was constantly wondering when or where he’d show up next. I was so worried that I was unable to sleep at night.’

Jacqueline complained to the police several times, but she was told there was nothing they could do as no crime had been committed.

But after Richardson’s behaviour escalated between April and August 2021, an interim restraining order was granted, and after a three-year-long legal process she has now been granted a lifelong order against him.

During this time he had made threats of ‘knowing gangsters’ to her, and she said he was deliberately confrontational, seeking her out and targeting her.

Jacqueline, who spent more than £20,000 on legal action, said: ‘It felt like it was the only way forward. Taking him to court was the only solution to get him to leave me alone.’

In his judgment, Sheriff Bruce Erroch KC said that Richardson had displayed abusive and vulgar sexual language towards Jacqueline that constituted a legal wrong.

On various occasions the hearing found he stared and stood outside the close entrance next to the pub, smirking and laughing at Jacqueline when she was arriving for work.

His manner was described as ‘angry and intimidating’.

The sheriff also found that Richardson’s threats of violence, harassment and threatening conduct had caused her to suffer fear, alarm and distress.

Sherriff Erroch said Richardson had shown an intention to persist in his conduct towards her, described Jacqueline as ‘an impressive witness’, and said Richardson’s evidence was ‘not wholly reliable’.

During his evidence, kayak instructor Richardson said he did not recall being barred from the pub and that his issues had arisen due to cars parking in the loading bay in Smithhills Street, preventing him from loading his van.

He had raised the issue with Renfrewshire Council and claimed he had never gone into the pub while barred, used foul language or made any vulgar comments towards Jacquline.

He disagreed that he had a vendetta against her and said that ‘he was not a man of violence or dishonesty’, claiming throughout there was no pattern of behaviour which would have caused her fear, alarm or distress.

The interdict was granted last month, meaning Richardson can no longer approach or contact the pub or Jacqueline at the risk of facing criminal proceedings.

Speaking after the judgement was handed down, Jacqueline said: ‘It has been years of absolute hell just to get this man to stop.

‘Now if he breaches the lifelong interdict, it immediately becomes a criminal matter and the police must act. I just want to move forward with my life and never see him again.

‘The trauma and strain of the past near-five years turned my day-to-day life into a nightmare. I’m so relived the judge ruled in my favour.’

Solicitor Matthew Coffield from MJC Law, who represented Jacquline in court, added: ‘No one should have to endure what Jacqueline went though. I’m pleased the sheriff had the conviction to grant a lifelong interdict.’

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