A STALKER who put an Alloa woman "through hell" for almost two years has been jailed this week.

Kevin Lyons repeatedly walked or cycled past her home, stared into her house from the street and stared at her in the street while grabbing his crotch.

He was convicted after trial earlier this month, having been described as "palpably dishonest" while giving his testimony.

Alloa Sheriff Court previously heard how Lyons would often stare at the complainer in the street, appear outside her living room window and on at least one occasion attend her place of work and stare at her.

She also detailed another instance where he smirked at her in Alloa Town Centre before grabbing his crotch and making a "face of some sort".

The woman told the court: "It felt like he was following me everywhere; I felt like everywhere I went, he was there.”

The 34-year-old, who has previous convictions for sexual assault and, more recently, for peering in a young girl's bedroom window, appeared for sentencing at Alloa Sheriff Court on Monday, November 21.

Lyons gave evidence and denied even knowing her, despite frequent references to an incident which took place 20 years ago.

During her testimony, the woman said "I’ve always remembered his face" and that Lyons put her "through hell because of what happened to me where I was younger".

While on the stand, Lyons said he had “no reason” to smirk at her and added that the complainer’s partner had chased him down the street shouting at him “beast, monster and rapist”.

However, when asked if he encountered the complainer when she was five, he replied: "Yes."

Sheriff Christopher Shead found Lyons guilty and ordered he remain in custody while background reports be prepared.

The accused was brought back to court this week where is own lawyer admitted there was "not a lot confidence" in a community sentence having any effect on Lyons.

Before jailing him, Sheriff Shead remarked that Lyons was perhaps fortunate not to have been prosecuted under solemn proceedings – where sentencing powers are much greater.

He also said there was no more the justice system could do to monitor him in the community, leaving prison as the only alternative.

The sheriff told him: "It appears that you have some deep-seated problems and that you present a high-risk of reoffending, insofar as offences of a sexual element are concerned."

Lyons was then handed a nine-month jail term, backdated to October 10 when he was first remanded in custody.