A domestic abuser has been jailed and warned to stay away from his ex-partner for years after his release.
Steven McDiarmid carried out a three-and-a-half-year-long campaign against the woman, which included throttling her and pinning her to a wall while standing on her feet to prevent her from escaping.
He was found guilty by a jury at Forfar Sheriff Court and was jailed after being told there was no alternative to custody.
His offending took place in Lunanhead, near Forfar, Portgordon, near Buckie, and at New Pitsligo in Aberdeenshire.
Even after being charged with domestic abuse and warned to stay away from his partner, McDiarmid approached her at Forfar Indoor Sports Centre and emailed her on seven different dates.
After finding McDiarmid guilty, jurors heard the 58-year-old already had convictions for threatening and abusive behaviour and injuring the same woman by assaulting her.
Maintains innocence
Solicitor Brian Bell, defending, said: “It’s not lost on Mr McDiarmid these are serious offences but there’s still a complete denial of wrongdoing but he accepts the verdict of the jury.
“There are direct alternatives to custody given his mental health – I think he would struggle significantly in a custodial setting.”
He said his client suffered poor mental health as a result of being forced to give up work as a joiner following a fall.
He urged Sheriff Paul Brown to impose an alternative sentence to one of imprisonment.
Instead, McDiarmid was handed a 13-month sentence of imprisonment, along with the imposition of a 10-year non-harassment order.
Sustained abuse
The jury found McDiarmid engaged in a course of abusive behaviour towards his partner of eight years from April 2019 to October 2022.
McDiarmid repeatedly questioned her about where she was and with whom, and demanded to examine her mobile phone, among other “jealous and controlling behaviour”.
On one occasion, he kicked her on the leg.
He used abusive and derogatory language towards her.
McDiarmid pushed the woman and pinned her to walls while standing on her feet, to prevent her escape.
He punched her on the body and repeatedly seized her by the throat, restricting her breathing.
He shouted, swore and acted aggressively and sent her unwanted emails.
He also attended at her workplace in Forfar, followed her in his Range Rover and attended at places he expected her to be.
On January 11, having been warned not to contact her, he showed up at Forfar Indoor Sports Centre and spoke with the woman, then emailed her in May, June, August and September.
