WOMAN WHO SUFFERED 'DECADE OF HELL' AT HANDS OF VIOLENT EX HITS OUT AS THUG AVOIDS JAIL
A woman who suffered "10 years of hell" at the hands of her violent ex, David Gillan, of Kilwinning, has spoken out after he avoided jail.Gillan, 29, pled guilty to domestic abuse against Shannon Muir, 27, during offences from April 2019 to November 2024.
Despite the guilty plea, he was not given a custodial sentence but was sentenced to 225 hours of community service, a Community Payback Order with 12 months supervision, and a Non Harassment Order for two years.
Shannon described her relief at being believed and Gillan's conviction, yet expressed frustration he was not jailed, stating, "He never went to jail because it was his first offence.
I’m going to have to live with this while he moves on and lives his normal life.
That's not right, he should have received a custodial sentence to protect other women." She added that she left him in January this year, reporting him to police afterward.
Shannon also warned others about the danger he still poses, especially amid rising domestic violence reports, which she believes are now more often reported due to an increased awareness.
She expressed that over the years, Gillan kicked, pushed, verbally abused, yanked her hair, and rifled through her social media without consent.
Friends noticed bruises, and her hairdresser saw clumps of hair missing, but she was too scared to confess the extent of the abuse at the time.
Shannon is still haunted by the trauma and struggles to trust future partners, fearing triggers from kindnesses like flowers.
She urged others to speak out against abuse.
Comments from a Scottish Courts spokesperson emphasized they consider each case's circumstances carefully when deciding sentences.
