The dad of a woman who was violently abused by her “scumbag” former partner has criticised his sentence.
Anthony Kay carried out a “sustained” abuse on the woman that included pinning her down and spitting in her face.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard the 38-year-old also grabbed the woman’s head and attempted to hit it off a car steering wheel.
He later returned with a police-style baton before being arrested by police.
Upon hearing Kay’s sentence, the woman’s father described him as “a total scumbag” and said the sentence was “not good enough”.
“He has put my daughter through hell. It’s not fair, it’s all gone his way,” he added.
Fiscal depute Lydia Ross told the court that around 11am on September 3 this year the woman returned home to her flat on Aberdeen’s Holburn Road to find Kay demanding that she pack his belongings as “he wanted to leave”.
“As she was doing so the accused came behind her and put her in a headlock,” Ms Ross said.
“He stated that she was taking too long.
“The complainer continued to pack the accused’s belongings and took him in her car to an address in Aberdeen where she dropped him off.”
At around 3pm the same day, Kay burst through the woman’s bedroom door as she slept and jumped on top of her – pinning her with his knees and spitting twice in her face.
As Kay demanded that she take him back to his home he then became irate, claiming the woman “was not dressed properly”.
“He punched the complainer’s Ring doorbell and picked up her laptop and snapped it in two,” Ms Ross told the court.
“He then kicked her bedframe, causing it to break.”
As the woman began driving her car, Kay began stroking her hair and asking her what was wrong.
She immediately stopped the car and told Kay to “get out and walk home”.
“At this time, the accused grabbed the back of the complainer’s head and tried to hit it off the steering wheel,” Ms Ross said.
“But he was unable to do so due to the complainer resisting – he then spat in her face.”
Ms Ross added that Kay then kicked the windscreen of the car, causing it to crack.
Upon arrival at his home, he got out of the car and threw a beer bottle at the windscreen.
As Kay left the area, the woman called her sister and dad, who met her at her home.
Soon after, the woman’s father saw Kay return holding a silver police-style friction-lock baton before being arrested by police.
Kay pleaded guilty to two counts of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner.
He also admitted wilfully and recklessly damaging property and being in possession of a friction-lock baton.
‘A sustained and unpleasant sequence of abusive behaviour’
Defence agent Andrew Ormiston told the court that his client had repaid the woman for the damage he caused to her home.
“He seems to have realised that his conduct was wholly unacceptable and he is ashamed of it,” he said.
“Mr Kay’s behaviour towards this complainer appears to be out of character and he doesn’t have misogynistic views.
“He has taken steps to address the issues that he does have.”
Sheriff Andrew Miller told Kay that the court could “only take a serious view” of his “completely unacceptable behaviour”.
He added: “It was a sustained and unpleasant sequence of abusive behaviour towards your then partner.
“I have considered whether a period of imprisonment is appropriate, but I’m not satisfied with that.
“I feel there are other orders the court could make.”
As an alternative to a prison sentence, Sheriff Andrew Miller sentenced Kay, of Bon Accord Street, Aberdeen, to a community payback order with supervision for 12 months and ordered him to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.
He also put a 12-month non-harassment order in place, meaning Kay could not approach or contact his former partner for a year.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.