A WOMAN stalked by her ex-husband in an alarming nine-month campaign of harassment is speaking out to encourage other victims to seek help.

It comes after Peter Noreiko, former chairman of an anti-stalking campaign group, pleaded guilty at Ayr Sheriff Court.

Noreiko, 67, parted company with the Action Against Stalking charity earlier this year before he was charged with offences, it is understood.

The group, which supports victims of harassment and is led by chief executive Ann Moulds, a former Evening Times Scotswoman of the Year, has been credited with making stalking a criminal offence.

The string of charges were brought under Section 39 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010, the flagship anti-stalking law for which the charity had successfully campaigned.

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His ex-wife Elaine Ferrie, 54, who is from Troon, said: “I want my voice to be heard. My advice to anyone who is being stalked is – don’t keep it to yourself. You have not done anything wrong – being stalked is not your fault.”

It’s almost a year to the day since Elaine left her husband setting in motion an upsetting chain of events which culminated in his guilty plea at Ayr Sheriff Court on Friday.

Noreiko, of South Beach, Troon, pleaded guilty to engaging in a course of conduct which caused his ex-wife Elaine fear or alarm between October 25 last year and July 25 in Ayrshire.

Ayr Sheriff Court heard he had repeatedly driven past his ex-wife's home in Troon and made an uninvited visit to her previous home ex-wife in the village of Monkton, placing his foot in the door to prevent Elaine from closing it.

Noreiko, a retired local businessman, repeatedly attended and telephoned her workplace in Troon and tried to repeatedly contact Elaine by text message and emailing.

He made contact with his ex-wife’s family, her friends and work colleagues in an attempt to gain information about her.

He also followed her while in a car, repeatedly sounding the car horn and flashing his lights while driving behind his ex-wife.

In a separate occasion he attempted to enter a car driven by Elaine.

The court heard he went to South Beach Hotel, Troon to hand in letters for her.

Noreiko was due to appear on trial at Ayr Sheriff Court on Monday but he pleaded guilty on Friday. Sentencing will take place next month.

At home, Elaine is finally allowing herself to believe it is over.

She explains: “I am delighted at the outcome, but sad it had to come to this.

“Until I had been the victim of stalking myself, I didn’t fully appreciate just what this crime really meant, nor did I understand what it’s really like to be a victim of persistent and unwanted attention.

“It impacted on every aspect of my life. It has only been the wonderful support I received that has helped me cope.”

Elaine paid particular tribute to Police Scotland.

“I was scared to report this to the police,” she admits. “But I realise now I had no need to be. The police were wonderful and my only regret is that I did not go to them sooner.

“I want to thank Police Scotland for their wonderful response, and for the quick and efficient manner in which they dealt with my situation. I felt validated and valued.

“I also want to thank South Ayrshire Women’s Aid, who gave me advice and a personal alarm, VIA (Victim Imformation and Advice) and ASSIST who kept me updated on my case, providing me with all the necessary information.”

Elaine also paid tribute to her family and friends, and to Action Against Stalking, the charity set up by former Evening Times Scotswoman of the Year Ann Moulds. Ann’s personal experience of stalking and her refusal to sit quietly by as stalkers escaped with lenient sentences, resulted in tougher stalking laws across the UK and Europe.

Ann said: ''It doesn't matter who you are, or what you do, no one is above the law. No matter why a person chooses to stalk and no matter what their reason is, it cannot ever be used as an excuse for the stress and harm they cause to their victim. We must never underestimate what stalking is and what it does.

“We have an obligation to fulfill our commitments to victims of stalking and this case was no different.

“AAS has supported the victim throughout. When she felt ready to report to the police, the response she received was immediate and her case was dealt with in an efficient and sensitive manner.”

Ann added: “The internet is full of advice for victims of stalking, but there is very little advice for those who perpetrate these types of behaviour. I will use the opportunity to offer some advice.

“When a victim says, ‘stop stalking me' they mean ‘stop stalking me'. When a victim says 'stop contacting me' they mean 'stop contacting me' and when a victim says 'leave me alone' they mean 'leave me alone'.

“To ignore these warnings means you risk the prospect of facing the full force of the law, and that is what has happened in this case.”

Like Ann, Elaine wants to be a voice for the often silent victims of this terrible crime.

“Each organisation who supported me throughout this ordeal played a vital role and I think that’s what I want to say to other victims out there,” she says.

“Don’t try to deal with it on your own. Get help. Report it to the police. The sooner you do it the less impact there will be on your life.

“I never thought this would happen to me but sadly it did. And I realise that it is very important to tell people, and get as much support as you can.”

It is understood Mr Noreiko resigned as chairman of Action Against Stalking in February this year after being invited to step down from the board.

Sentencing was adjourned till next month for reports.

In 2010, MSPs supported moves for a new stalking offence after the charity's founder Ann Moulds, called for a change in the law.

It has been estimated that police investigated more than 1,000 cases of stalking in the first three years since the laws came into force.