A pensioner who stalked a woman claimed he was in the area to give a friend's son a signed ball by ex-Rangers star Ryan Kent.

Dennis Hislop, 78, kept tabs on the 27-year-old woman for over two years in Glasgow's Parkhead and Dalmarnock.

Hislop tailed her several times a day as she walked her dog.

The retired metal worker told police that he hid in bushes with binoculars looking in the direction of her house.

Hislop also concealed himself in bushes at Celtic Park to leer at her and fled after being pointed out to police.

Hislop was convicted on Tuesday of stalking between February 2020 and June 2022 at Glasgow Sheriff Court.

The jury deleted allegations that Hislop uttered sexual remarks to her.

The woman told the court in her evidence that the pair had knew each other in the past.

She claimed that she told Hislop to stop speaking to her in 2020.

Jurors were shown numerous texts allegedly sent by Hislop after the request.

This included him saying that he “loved” her and also asking for a “peck.”

Another stated that the woman was his “reason to live.”

Prosecutor Jessica McGowan asked the witness how she felt about receiving the messages and she replied that she was "annoyed" which turned into anger.

The woman said that she would leave her house three times a day to walk her dog.

She recalled seeing Hislop at roads around her house.

Miss McGowan asked how often the woman would see Hislop.

She replied: "A lot I would say."

Miss McGowan asked: "Were you walking the same route every day?"

The woman said: "At the start but eventually I tried to change my route."

Miss McGowan asked: "How did that make you feel?"

The woman said: "Nervous and a wee bit scared."

She added that she was followed by Hislop between May 2021 to June 2022.

Miss McGowan asked if there were occasions where Hislop was not immediately obvious to her.

She replied: "Yes, sometimes he would hide in bushes...he would go inside bushes and hide."

The witness stated that this was at a car park in the Emirates Arena which looked on to the back of her home where her bedroom was situated.

Miss McGowan asked the woman how many times she noticed Hislop hiding in the bushes.

She stated: "I would say quite a few...maybe 10 times."

The woman claimed that she also walked through the Emirates Arena car park with her dogs to get to the park.

Miss McGowan said: "You may be asked for 18 months there was a man making you scared or nervous hiding in bushes, why did you walk through the car park?"

The woman: "That's the only way to get to the places I take my dogs walks, it didn't matter what way I would go he would appear in the different direction."

The court heard that the woman did speak to the police on a number of occasions at the time.

Jurors were shown a note put through the woman's door.

It read: "No phone, they have it, not got your number, D."

CCTV from Celtic Park showed Hislop walking across the club shop car park and leave in his vehicle after the woman pointed him out to passing police officers.

Miss McGowan stated to Hislop in his evidence that the footage also showed him hiding in bushes at Celtic Park while looking in the direction of the woman.

The fiscal depute asked why he then ran off once the woman had spoken to the officers.

Hislop replied: "I ran to my car because I had to go to the bookies, I wasn't running from anyone and I didn't see anyone to run from."

Miss McGowan asked why Hislop would be in these locations if not to stalk the woman.

He stated that he had a friend who stayed in the area.

Hislop claimed that he had a contact at the Rangers academy who provided a ball signed by former first team star Ryan Kent.

He said: "I gave [the ball] to my friend's son who still has it to this day - I did it to keep the boy interested in football."

Hislop stated that he could "not remember" telling a police in his interview that he looked in the direction of the woman's house with binoculars while hiding in a bush.

It was revealed that the father-of-six has two previous road traffic convictions where he received fines.

Sentence was deferred pending background reports until next month.

Hislop, of the city's Cardonald, who appeared from custody, had his remand continued meantime by Sheriff Michael Hanlon.