A man who targeted three different partners during a harrowing campaign of domestic abuse has been jailed for two years.
Daniel Curry subjected three women to physical and mental abuse that included violent attacks and threats to harm their family members.
During the abuse, which his victims suffered over the course of years, he threw things, spat in their faces and choked them.
On one occasion he threatened to burn a caravan down with the woman and her children inside.
He also forced his fingers down a partner’s throat to the point that she vomited.
Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald today called his crimes some of the worst examples of domestic abuse she had ever encountered.
Curry initially denied two counts of assault to injury, one of assault, two of threatening or abusive behaviour and two of breach of the peace against three women over 12 years.
However, he was found guilty by a jury after a “harrowing” trial.
Inverness Sheriff Court was told Curry committed a breach of the peace between January 2006 and December 2009 at addresses in Aberdeen and Cupar, Fife.
He conducted himself in a disorderly manner and called his partner derogatory names, repeatedly attempted to contact her and became angry if she did not respond.
Man threatened partner’s family
He also threatened to harm her family, struck himself with a knife in her presence, caused damage to her property and refused to give her keys to leave the property.
He assaulted the woman to her injury by seizing her on the body, neck, hair and head, spat on her face, dragged her, choked her, threw items at her, pushed her and pinned her body against furniture and walls – all to her injury.
His second victim was targeted between 2010 and 2018, also in Aberdeen.
He again committed a breach of the peace by conducting himself in a disorderly manner, shouting and calling the woman derogatory names and acting in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting and swearing and threatening to harm her brother.
Abuser spat in partner’s face
The woman was also subjected to an assault where Curry grabbed her mobile phone and threw it before spitting in her face.
The third woman was targeted between 2016 and 2018 at locations in Caithness, Edinburgh and a caravan park in Embo.
The woman was subjected to threatening or abusive behaviour, which included Curry checking her mobile phone and social media, shouting and name-calling, threatening to rape her, calling her children names and threatening to stab himself in her presence and burn down a caravan while she and her children were inside.
He also threatened to kill her family.
The jury was told how he assaulted the woman to her injury by striking her on the head, seizing her on the body and neck, lifting her by the neck and throwing her.
Pregnant woman assaulted
Curry spat in the woman’s face, grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her out of the bath.
He pinned her to the ground and ripped her clothing, pulled her from a vehicle and straddled her, put his hands around her neck causing her breathing to become restricted and forced his fingers down her throat, causing her to vomit.
Some of the assaults took place while the woman was pregnant.
Appearing at the sentencing hearing at Inverness Sheriff Court, his solicitor Mike Chapman referenced letters of support from Curry’s mother and current partner, who said: “Throughout our relationship, Dan has never displayed any signs of aggression towards me or anyone else.”
Mr Chapman said Curry, who now lives in Irvon Hill Road, Wickford, Essex, hasn’t come to police attention since leaving Scotland.
‘The worst examples of domestic abuse I have seen for some time’
He said his client, who began drinking at the age of 12, had now “addressed his alcohol problem”.
Mr Chapman said: “He is well aware of the gravity of the situation in which he finds himself he appreciates that these were serious offences. He appreciates that a custodial sentence is almost inevitable,”
Sheriff Eilidh MacDonald told Curry: “I consider these offences some of the worst examples of domestic abuse I have seen for some time.”
She said he had displayed “controlling behaviour, abuse and appalling violence”.
“You had an inability to control your emotions, acting out in the worst possible way,” she said.
“These behaviours were designed to belittle, control and hurt your partners.”
She added that watching Curry’s victims give evidence at trial had been “extremely harrowing” and told him there was no alternative to a custodial sentence.
She jailed Curry for two years and made non-harassment orders preventing him from contacting two of his victims for 10 years. The third woman had not asked for such an order to be imposed.
