A tradesman attacked his girlfriend in front of her horrified friends as they chatted with her on a video call, a court has been told.
The woman’s pals witnessed Douglas Morrison calling her a ‘slag’ and a ‘fat whore’, before grabbing his domestic abuse victim and dragging her away.
They heard their friend shouting “get off me” followed by a “loud thumping sound”, Elgin Sheriff Court was told.
Morrison, a 32-year-old joiner from Keith in Moray, claimed that he turned on his partner around 1am on February 13 last year because “he had asked her to leave his home and she had refused”.
Fiscal depute Naomi Duffy-Welsh explained that the ordeal began with screaming and insults being hurled at the accused’s now ex-girlfriend.
Off-screen ‘commotion’
She said: “During the conversation, her friends heard the accused become aggressive and start screaming at her to get out of his house.
“He also called her names such as ‘slag’ and ‘fat whore’. He then grabbed her by the arm and dragged her away.
“This was seen on the screen by her friends.
“She returned to the screen with red marks on her arms.”
A short while later, she was “lost to the view” of her pals, who heard a “commotion” off-camera.
‘A loud thumping sound’
“The complainer was heard shouting ‘get off me, don’t f****** touch me’,” the fiscal added. “They then heard a loud thumping sound in the background”.
One of the woman’s friends, who tried and failed to make contact with her once the call ended, later rang the police at 4.30am the same day, as she was so concerned for her welfare.
“Police arrived and could see women’s clothing scattered all around the garden,” the fiscal explained. “The lights were on but nobody appeared home.
“The complainer was later traced back at her own home address safe and well.”
Morrison pled guilty to charges of domestic assault and threatening or abusive behaviour.
‘He was at his wit’s end’
He also admitted two breaches of bail in which he sent messages to two women, who he was previously ordered not to contact.
His defence agent Ben Thom said his client had a “considerable” mental health background.
“He was at his wit’s end with anxiety at the time,” the solicitor said. “He recognises he should have dealt with the anxiety at the outset and matters may not have escalated to the point it did.”
He said that the couple’s relationship had been “very much on and off” at the time of the offence.
“Alcohol had been consumed at the time by both parties,” he said. “He had asked her to leave his home and she had refused.
“He was frustrated and concerned she was not leaving, so made physical efforts to do so. He simply wanted her out of his address.
“The relationship is now completely at an end.”
Mr Thom added that self-employed Morrison has since “thrown himself into his employment”.
Banned from contacting ex
Sheriff Robert McDonald handed Morrison, of Cameron Drive, Keith, a total of 190 hours of unpaid work.
The offender was also issued a non-harassment order, meaning he cannot contact his ex for three years.
Before leaving the dock, Morrison tried to make sure that his identity and details of his crimes would not be reported by the media.
He told the press, who were present in the court, that he did not give permission for his case to be published.
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