Former Lord Provost contacted ex-partner 122 times during stalking campaign

A former Lord Provost of Glasgow has admitted stalking his ex-partner.

Philip Braat, 49, contacted the woman 122 times between July and September 2024.

The messages included claims that Braat wished to end his life as a result of the woman ending their three-year relationship.

Braat has represented the Anderston/City/Yorkhill ward since 2007 and is subject to an investigation by Scottish Labour.

Braat was the deputy Lord Provost in 2017 before taking on the senior role in 2020 until 2022.

He left the position after the 2019 resignation of Eva Bolander amid criticism of her expenses claims.

Braat was also the former convener of the Strathclyde Police Authority (SPA) and represented Glasgow at COP26.

Braat was a member of the Law Society of Scotland, an honorary captain in the Royal Navy Reserves, and a member of the Glasgow Tree Lovers’ Society.

He pleaded guilty last month at Glasgow Sheriff Court to a single charge of stalking, and a narrative of the facts was heard on Friday.

The court heard that the pair entered a relationship in 2021 and went on to live together.

The woman told Braat that she was ending the relationship in July 2024.

She received an email the next day from Braat, which included a purported resignation letter to his employer sent from his professional account.

Prosecutor Paige Phillips said: “The woman thought that this was fake and to get her attention as well as to make her feel guilty.”

She later contacted Braat to emphasise the end of their relationship during a “very emotional and distressing” call.

The woman also stated that she did not love him and wanted to get on with her life.

Braat attempted to persuade her that the pair should be together and stated that he could “not live” without her.”

He said: “You better visit my parents and you better keep my legacy alive.”

The woman believed that this was in reference to Braat ending his life, and he said: “I don’t want to live without you.”

When asked if it was in reference to ending his life, Braat replied: “Maybe.”

Between July and September, the woman received 18 emails, 51 Instagram messages, 15 text messages, 37 WhatsApp messages, and a LinkedIn message.

Some of the emails contained “goodbye” letters to the woman and Braat’s own family.

The woman contacted the police, and Braat was traced to his parents’ address, where he was found “safe and well”.

Braat’s LinkedIn message, congratulating her on a professional award she received, resulted in the woman going to the police.

She stated that the messages were not nasty, but there was “no escape” from Braat, and she could “not cope any longer”.

Braat gave a “no comment” interview to the police after his arrest.

Solicitor advocate Andrew Seggie, defending, told the court: “He was at a low point and felt suicidal, and his focus was on winning the woman back during the period of the charge.

“As a result of the passage of time, he accepts his behaviour overstepped the mark. He is genuinely remorseful.

“He was the Lord Provost during the pandemic, and he said he felt additional pressure to assist those who lost loved ones as a result of the pandemic, together with his own constituents.

“He was trying to manage this and juggle his own family issues, and the end of the relationship caused him to suffer a mental health breakdown during this period.”

Sentencing was deferred again until next month by Sheriff Owen Mullan to be addressed on the terms of a non-harassment order.

The sheriff stated that Braat, of the city’s Broomhill, will be ordered to 60 hours of unpaid work when sentencing is imposed.

Sheriff Mullan added: “It should not have taken the passage of time and hindsight to reach the conclusion that perhaps you overstepped the mark – that is why you are here today.

“I understand that you have made it clear that it must have been traumatic and stressful for the woman concerned.”