Elgin man (52) given unpaid work for 27-month campaign of domestic abuse
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AN ELGIN man who carried out a 27-month-long campaign of domestic abuse against his partner has been ordered to take part in a rehabilitation programme and carry out 225 hours of unpaid work.
Lee Francis (52), formerly of Hardhillock Avenue, Elgin but, Inverness Sheriff Court heard, now living in Cove near Aberdeen had previously admitted the offence which occurred between September 1, 2019 and January 1, 2022.
He also pleaded guilty to breaching his bail by contacting her after he had been charged.
Sheriff Ian Cruickshank was told that they had been in a relationship for five years but then got married.
Fiscal depute Pauline Gair said: "The relationship had its ups and downs, especially when they both had consumed alcohol."
Mrs Gair said on one occasion while the couple were staying in Newburgh, he threw a glass at her which severely injured his partner.
"It smashed on her arm as she put it up to protect herself and she needed hospital treatment in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary," she added.
The court heard that there were two incidents when the pair were staying in Elgin's Premier Inn, one which resulted in him shouting, swearing and calling her offensive names. The second involved him struggling with her.
Mrs Gair also told of an incident in a house in Ellon where Francis covertly placed a mobile phone on voice record on a wardrobe which she discovered.
"He said he wanted to know what she was doing when he was not there, suggesting infidelity."
Francis's lawyer, Matthew O'Neill told the court that the partner had also installed monitoring equipment on his client's phone saying "the issues of mistrust were mutual".
"There were strains in the relationship before and they should not have got married. It was not sensible for it to continue," he said.
Francis was also placed under two years supervision and had a five year non harassment order imposed.
