A STALKING accused Greenock man charged with causing a woman fear and alarm over a period of nearly four years targeted her at the sheriff court and abused her on social media, it is alleged.

Ross Beckett also made false claims to police during the period of his alleged offending, prosecutors say.

Beckett, 43, repeatedly drove past the woman, tailgated her and also slowed his vehicle to keep pace with her while she was running, it is claimed.

He is accused of engaging in a course of conduct that caused the woman fear or alarm between December 2019 and November 2023 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.

Beckett made abusive gestures towards the complainer, laughed, waved and pointed at her and unnecessarily applied the brakes of his car when she was driving behind him, it is alleged.

He 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, prosecutors claim.

It is further alleged 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, maintained a plea of not guilty on his client’s behalf during the latest calling of proceedings at the sheriff court.

Mr Sweeney said that there is a ‘significant amount of disclosure’ in the ‘complicated’ case.

A trial, expected to last three days, has been scheduled to start on July 3.