TAYPORT FIREFIGHTER CONVICTED OF DOMESTIC ASSAULT CAN KEEP HIS JOB, SAYS SHERIFF
A sheriff stated there is nothing to suggest that the fire service should dismiss a Tayside firefighter who was convicted of attacking his ex-partner.Chris Vesey, 31, was convicted after a trial in Dundee of assaulting his former partner.
The victim was left with a red face and bleeding lip after he struck her head against the bedroom floor.
Vesey, a Tayport-based firefighter, was sentenced to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and prohibited from contacting the woman for 14 months.
Defense solicitor Paul Parker-Smith indicated that Vesey’s job "hangs very much in the balance," but Sheriff John Rafferty stated his employers could retain his services.
The sheriff said, "Nothing stipulated" should prevent him from returning to work as a firefighter and added, "I think you’ve exhibited through your life that you can conduct yourself in a law-abiding manner." Although Vesey denied the assault, the court found the victim’s evidence to be "very credible and reliable." The woman hesitated to report the incident due to concern Vesey might lose his job.
Sheriff Rafferty described the incident as "entirely out of character," noting it was a "single incident," and he found it particularly shocking since the woman had never before been hit by Vesey.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s Area Commander Mark Bryce acknowledged Vesey’s conviction and assured that the matter is subject to ongoing internal investigation.
The victim recounted that Vesey arrived angry, called her names, accused her of infidelity, forced his way into the bedroom, struck her with a door, knocked her to the floor, and hit her head.
She said, "I was shouting ‘get off me,’" and saw her face bleeding in the mirror, describing the assault as a shock.
Vesey was found guilty of assault, aggravated by the fact that it was against a former partner, on February 11, 2022, at an address in Tayport.
His solicitor warned that this conviction could have severe repercussions for him.
