A father-to-be threatened to kill his ex unless he was given child access and told her he “hopes she dies during childbirth” after learning the baby wouldn’t be named after him.
Abusive Liam Norvil also threatened to “smash her home to bits” and told the woman he’d run away with their baby and “not come out alive” if she were to phone the police.
The 25-year-old subjected the woman to an nine-month catalogue of abuse between December 2021 and last September, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
Fiscal depute Sean Ambrose said the majority of the offending took place after the couple found out they were expecting a baby and the woman ended the relationship in January 2022.
Fallouts followed baby name row
He said the couple went to a gender scan three months later in Aberdeen and found out they were expecting a boy.
“When driving home the accused stated he wanted the baby to be called Liam and an argument broke out,” Mr Amrose said.
“He pulled over the car and demanded she get out, which she did, and he drove off leaving her to walk home.
“The complainer also didn’t want to give the son the accused’s last name, which caused further tension between them.
“She told him she wouldn’t let him have access once the baby was born and he text her saying ‘I am telling you now… you keep my child from me and I will kill you’.
“Thereafter more threats to attend the address and ‘smash it to bits’.
“He said when their son was born he would run away with him. He also told her he hoped she would die during childbirth.”
Sent photo of pram and hammer
When the woman said she would call the police if he ever ran away with the child, he said “If the police come I’m not coming out alive”.
The court heard how the woman gave birth in July last year while on holiday in Spain and she told her ex decisions about access and names would be made on her return.
“He made threats to smash up the baby’s pram which had been left at his home, and sent the complainer a picture of the pram and him standing next to it with a hammer,” the court heard.
After the new mum and baby arrived home, Norvil continued to send threatening texts claiming the woman was “depriving the son of a father” and stating he would fight for full custody.
He admitted one charge of domestic abuse which also included two earlier incidents in August 2021 and December 2021.
Spared jail over ‘nasty course of conduct’
Defence agent Sian Grant: “Mr Norvil felt as though the complainer was only interested in getting her name added to the deeds of the house. That was a bone of contention. He felt that she tried to emotionally manipulate him and at times used the child to control him in a way.”
Sheriff Donald Ferguson interrupted to point out that Norvil’s victim was not the one who had been convicted of a crime and added: “I’m not really interested in his thoughts.”
Sheriff Ferguson handed Norvil, of Moir Drive, Aberdeen, 180 hours of unpaid work, a one-year supervision order and a three-year non-harassment order.
He said: “This was a very nasty course of conduct.
“It’s as unpleasant as it’s inappropriate and it’s totally uncalled for. I have considered whether the behaviour crosses the custody threshold as it was totally out of order.”
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