Moray abuser’s offences against two former girlfriends heard in court
A court has heard an extensive account of how an abuser repeatedly subjected two women to aggressive and controlling behaviour.
Mark Strathdee, of Land Street, Keith, previously admitted two domestic abuse charges, which included him hitting one partner and biting the other.
Elgin Sheriff Court heard, during a “quite lengthy” account from fiscal depute Victoria Silver, that one victim became “extremely isolated from her family and friends” during her 15-month ordeal.
Charges detail that 24-year-old Strathdee hit his then-girlfriend, made “offensive and abusive remarks”, demanded to know her whereabouts and would “repeatedly call and message her.
The man also acted in an “aggressive manner” towards his second victim, shouting and swearing at her.
Strathdee also admitted repeatedly messaging and calling the woman, attending her home address uninvited, leaving unwanted gifts, damaging her property and biting her on the body “to her injury”.
He appeared last week for deferred sentence, his case having previously been delayed for reports.
“…honeymoon phase for the first few months”
The Keith man’s abuse towards his first victim occurred between April 2022 and October 2023.
Ms Silver said the woman described her relationship with Strathdee as in a “honeymoon phase for the first few months”, but “thereafter suffered abuse for the remainder of the relationship”.
Due to his aggressive and controlling behaviour, along with frequent accusations of cheating, Ms Silver said the victim became “extremely isolated from her family and friends”.
When she was not with him, she would face a “barrage” of phone calls and messages.
“The content of these messages was generally abusive, accusing her of cheating and calling her vulgar names,” the fiscal depute added.
“…send photos and videos proving she was alone”
She felt so “exhausted” by this that she found it easier to “spend nearly all her time with him” instead.
Ms Silver said Strathdee repeatedly “abused” the Find My iPhone application which was used by the then-couple.
On December 10, 2022, the woman received a notification saying the man had set up notifications tracking “any movements by her”.
“She recalls being sat in a property on Nelson Terrace in Keith, where she had gone to get some rest,” Ms Silver added
“The accused sent a message, with her current location, saying: ‘Stick it out bud.’”
“If she did not message him, he would send abusive messages and accusations of cheating.”
She viewed this as an “accusation of cheating”, followed by a request from Strathdee to “send photos and videos proving she was alone.”
As the relationship continued, however, she had to “tell the accused whoever she was with at all times”.
The fiscal depute added: “If she did not message him, he would send abusive messages and accusations of cheating.”
In July 2022, the woman was attending the Trnsmt Festival in Glasgow with a group of friends.
Ms Silver told the court that Strathdee saw a video on social media which pictured her sat on top of a male’s shoulders.
“…fearful of how abusive he would be if she didn’t go.”
The court heard that, in the wake of the messages, the woman left the festival early and “went back to the hotel alone to avoid any further aggravation”.
Ms Silver told the court that Strathdee attacked his victim after becoming angry that a male friend had sat next to her during a night out in the Ugie Hotel, in Keith.
The woman had taken a taxi to his house, because she was “fearful of how abusive he would be if she didn’t go”.
While inside the home, the woman was unnerved that Strathdee “appeared calm” while continuing to accuse her of cheating.
Describing her as a “slag and a slut”, the abuser said he had added his ex-girlfriend on social media, “despite saying he hated her”.
“…marks and bruises on her face”
But when the woman told Strathdee that “she was leaving”, the man: “Grabbed her and slapped her face telling her that she was not going anywhere.”
However, she did manage to leave his property.
The court heard that the assault left the woman with “marks and bruises on her face”.
After ending the relationship by way of message, over fears he would try to convince her not to leave him, Strathdee continued to plead with her to continue the relationship.
The court heard that the abuser had “let himself into the unlocked door” of the victim’s family home, knowing that her parents were “away on holiday at the time”.
“...she was the reason he hit her”
Ms Silver said the woman’s “heart was racing” when she discovered Strathdee had entered the house.
She had been “made to feel guilty by the accused all throughout the relationship”, the fiscal depute added.
Strathdee also made the woman feel like “she was the reason he hit her”, and she feared she would end up “apologising and feeling like she was in the wrong”.
“She knew that the accused’s behaviour was wrong, but did not know how to get away,” Ms Silver said.
The fiscal depute said that, after abuse lasting more than a year, she eventually: “Wasn’t as bothered by the end, because it almost became the norm.”
“You aren’t one of those birds are you?”
Strathdee also abused a second woman, between May and October 2024, who quickly spotted “red flags” in his behaviour.
Ms Silver said these included comments like: “You aren’t going to hurt me are you?” and “You aren’t one of those birds are you?”
The court heard that, at a wedding dance attended he and the woman attended together, he “told her not to talk to any males, because it was pissing him off them looking at her”.
On August 24, the woman had returned home to see that the Strathdee’s car was not on the driveway.
However, upon entering, she saw the accused standing at the top of the stairs and said: ‘Where the f**k have you been?’
“Screaming at the top of his voice that he had never been disrespected like this.”
“She felt that the accused was not worried, he just wanted to control where she was,” Ms Silver added.
During the incident, the court heard, he referred to her as a “slag”, a “gearhead” and a “typical Elgin bird”, along with: “Screaming at the top of his voice that he had never been disrespected like this.”
Ms Silver said that, after the relationship ended, Strathdee “let himself into her house through the insecure patio doors”.
The abuse victim was cast into a “state of fear” when the man entered her bedroom and began cuddling her - saying that they could “make it work”.
The next morning, she found that the man had entered the property again to leave flowers, chocolates and a three-page letter.
Some time later, she attended Elgin Police Station and detailed Strathdee’s behaviour to police.
The woman also believed, Ms Silver said, that Strathdee deliberately left “love bite marks” on prominent areas to prevent her wearing “certain types of tops”.
Sheriff Olga Pasportnikov deferred sentencing again until June 24, for the preparation of a psychological report which would “determine the level of risk posed”.
She also asked the fiscal depute and Strathdee’s solicitor Matthew O’Neill to “advise the presiding Sheriff that I will be dealing with this”.
The case will is set to call again on June 24.
