An Aberdeen domestic abuser who throttled a woman with such force she heard her eye “pop” has been jailed.
Derry Low, 23, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, where he admitted a sustained and violent catalogue of abuse against his former partner over four years.
It was stated that Low, who has two previous convictions for domestic abuse, repeatedly strangled and beat the woman.
During one incident, the woman’s neck was being gripped so hard she heard something next to her eye “pop”.
Low’s behaviour ‘escalated’
Fiscal depute Emma Petersen told the court that Low and his partner had been in an on-off relationship for a number of years.
During an argument in July 2020, Low became furious, resulting in him running up to the woman and seizing her by the arms and shaking her aggressively.
In March 2022, the woman became scared about Low’s behaviour during an argument and took out her phone to record him, which he took umbrage to and kicked the phone out of her hand and pushed her on the body.
The kick caused a significant amount of pain in her wrist.
A couple of months later, during another argument, Low’s behaviour towards the woman began to escalate, and she took refuge in the bedroom.
However, Low battered open the door and kicked the woman repeatedly to the legs, causing bruising.
Later that month, Low forcefully seized the woman by the arms multiple times, resulting in the woman crying and begging him to stop but he responded by grabbing her more forcefully.
The woman sustained multiple bruises on her arms from this incident.
Seized woman by the neck
In December 2022, during an argument in the bedroom, the accused became angry and sat on the woman’s chest, seized her by her neck with both hands and started to strangle her.
“The accused was seizing the complainer’s neck with such force that she struggled to breathe and describes feeling something beside her eye ‘pop’ and being drenched in sweat as a result of the attack,” Ms Petersen said.
“She was screaming for the accused to stop, which he did, and he started apologising and hugging her, before leaving the locus.”
Following the end of the relationship, Low sent the woman a voicemail in which he was “going to kill her” and further messages stating: “If you don’t come and meet me, I’m going to break your f****** face, you little fool, you actual mink”.
Low also called the woman “a little rat” for going to the police about his domestic assaults upon her.
In the dock, Low pleaded guilty to one charge of engaging in a course of abusive behaviour towards his partner between November 2019 and February 2024.
‘No alternative’ to prison
Defence solicitor Jenny Logan told the court that her client “accepts that there is no excuse for his behaviour”.
“There are parts he can’t remember due to the use of drink and drugs, but he pleaded to all of it,” Ms Logan said.
“He describes his behaviour as disgusting, which was exacerbated by the use of illicit substances – he is now trying to make positive changes to his life.”
Sheriff Lesley Johnston told Low that he had subjected his victim to domestic abuse for a period of four years.
“You have caused her injury, endangered her life, and no doubt caused her serious psychological harm,” she said, adding that she believed that, due to his previous domestic offending, there was “no alternative” to a custodial sentence in his case.
Sheriff Johnston sentenced Low, of Summerhill Drive, Aberdeen, to 18 months in prison and put a non-harassment order in place, meaning he cannot approach his former partner for five years.
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