A domestic abuser who put his pregnant girlfriend in a headlock and dragged her along the floor has been warned he faces jail if he repeats his “absolutely disgusting” behaviour.
Tomas Pocta’s partner was six months pregnant when some of the abuse happened and he told her: “I will treat you like your ex did because you deserve it”.
After the birth of their child he also threatened to kill his partner after an argument at their home in Aberdeen’s Park Place in May this year.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard how Pocta and his partner had been in a relationship for a number of years and were expecting their first child together in the summer of 2020.
However, the 40-year-old drunkenly attacked his partner when she was six months pregnant by pushing her around their home and slapping her on the face.
Fiscal depute Tom Procter said the first incident took place in June 2020 after Pocta had been on a night out drinking while his pregnant partner was the designated driver.
The fiscal said: “She got angry when she confronted him about who he had been texting when he was out and he pushed her into the door of their bedroom.
“She left and was about to get into her car when he called her and asked her to come back and not make a scene.
“When she came back in he met her at the top of the stairs, put her in a headlock and dragged her into the kitchen where they continued to argue.
“He stepped forward and slapped her in the face.
“He told her ‘I will treat you like your ex did because you deserve it’.
“She went to their bedroom where he grabbed her and pulled her to the ground.”
‘I am going to kill you’
In May this year, after the birth of their child, Pocta threatened to kill his partner following another drunken night out with friends.
This time she left the house and sought refuge in her car after he returned home drunk.
“Pocta came out of the house and walked three times around her car and had the child with him,” the court was told.
“The woman managed to get the child and return inside where an argument again ensued.
“She went into the child’s room to care for it but he grabbed her by the throat and put her down on the bed and attempted to strangle her.
“He said ‘I am going to kill you’.”
After she ran from the house with the baby Pocta followed her and grabbed the child, taking it back inside and locking the woman out.
After a neighbour came to his victim’s aid and called the police, Pocta was arrested and charged.
He admitted engaging in a course of behaviour that was abusive to his partner.
Pocta’s defence agent Stuart Murray said his client, who appeared with a Czech interpreter, had failed to take responsibility for his actions and refused to talk about his behaviour.
He added: “He pleaded guilty against my advice and I think there’s more going on and the complainer has been extremely aggressive and blaming me for Mr Pocta not being able to return home.
“I don’t believe Mr Pocta is likely to bother this court again.”
Pocta admitted behaving in a threatening and abusive manner towards his partner by being physically violent towards her and threatening to kill her.
‘It’s an absolute disgrace’
Sheriff Philip Mann told him: “I don’t know what makes you think that you can treat any woman like this.
“It’s an absolute disgrace.
“The law in this country views the kind of abuse with great seriousness and punishment is severe. You need to understand that.
“If you were to offend in this manner again I would personally have no issue with sending you down.
“Your partner wants to give things another go and if you take her up on that you better respect her.”
Pocta, of Froghall Terrace, Aberdeen, was sentenced to a community payback disposal comprising 180 hours of unpaid work and a one-year supervision order as a direct alternative to custody.
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