A GREENOCK man facing a stalking charge after allegedly causing a woman fear and alarm over four years has had his court trial delayed.

Ross Beckett was due to appear in front of a sheriff this week accused of following the alleged victim, repeatedly driving past and tailgating her and slowing his car to keep pace with her while she was running.

The alleged offences, which include making false claims to police and sharing abusive posts about the complainer on social media, are said to have been committed at various locations in Inverclyde, including the Gallagher Retail Park in Port Glasgow, the Oak Mall shopping centre, the Esplanade, Greenock Sheriff Court and elsewhere.

The alleged course of conduct, between December 2019 and November 2023, involved Beckett making abusive gestures towards the woman, laughing, waving and pointing at her and unnecessarily applying the brakes of his car when she was driving behind him, prosecutors claim.

He allegedly slowed his vehicle so that they would both be stopped at red lights at the same time, drove slowly in front of the woman, stared at her and blocked the path of her vehicle causing her to take evasive action.

The charge adds that Beckett made abusive remarks to the complainer and false allegations to police regarding her, while he is also said to have sounded his car horn at her, publicly posted abusive remarks and false allegations regarding her on social media and publicly posted a photo of her home on social media.

Edward Sweeney, representing Beckett, of Clynder Road, said that evidence has still to be passed on by the Crown, resulting in a three-day trial which was due to start on Wednesday being pushed back.

The lawyer told a previous hearing that there is a ‘significant amount of disclosure’ in the ‘complicated’ case.

A new trial date of October 31 has been scheduled.