A HAWICK man has admitted stalking the motorist who caused the death of his partner by careless driving.

Chris Hartdegen has now been ordered to stay away from primary school teacher Roddy Graham and his wife for the next 12 months.

Mum-of-four Kirsty Parker, who was 34, died when her car was in a head-on collision with a vehicle driven by Mr Graham near their home village of Denholm in February 2016.

Hartdegen then engaged in a course of conduct which caused Mr Graham and his wife Sarah fear and alarm for their safety, Jedburgh Sheriff Court was told.

He admitted acting in an aggressive manner, shouting and swearing, uttering threats of violence towards both of them, standing in front of a van in which they were travelling and spitting on the vehicle between August 28 and November 16 last year.

A not guilty plea to a second charge of repeatedly uttering threats of violence on December 12 and threatening to damage property belonging to Mr Graham was accepted by the Crown.

Thirty five year old Hartdegen of Atkinson Road, Hawick, was admonished but given a 12 month non-harassment order relating to Roddy and Sarah Graham.

Mr Graham was subsequently banned from driving for 12 months and ordered to carry out 90 hours unpaid work after admitting causing Kirsty's death by careless driving.

Three of her children were in the car when it was involved in the head-on collision on the A698 road near Denholm.

Jedburgh Sheriff Court heard a "momentary lack of attention" resulted in Mr Graham swerving onto the opposite carriageway to avoid colliding with a Transit van and into the path of Ms Parker's Vauxhall Zafira.