PERTH MAN WHO TERRORISED HIS PARTNER AND HER DAUGHTER FOUND HIDING IN GARDEN BY POLICE
A man named Graeme Bell, aged 48, who terrorized his partner and her daughter by hammering on their house door was later found hiding in the garden by the police.Bell was locked out of the property after becoming intoxicated.
He has been sentenced at Perth Sheriff Court to carry out unpaid work.
The prosecution, represented by depute fiscal Mairi Graham, explained that the victim is the partner of Bell, and they live with the victim's child.
Bell has had a longstanding alcohol problem that has worsened over the years, but when sober, the relationship was harmonious.
On the night of the incident, Bell claimed he would not be drinking but then searched the house for hidden alcohol around 7 pm.
By 9.30 pm, he had returned downstairs, intoxicated, and made derogatory comments to the victim's daughter about her college work, attempting to incite an argument with the victim about their work schedule.
His behavior became verbally abusive, and he showed signs of escalating violence.
He exited the back door, which was locked behind him, and then began pounding on the door with a piece of wood, causing fear and alarm for over an hour among the women.
Police arrived just after 11:30 pm, finding them visibly shaken and crying.
Bell was located hiding in the backyard garden.
His defense solicitor, David Sinclair, stated that Bell was making efforts to address his alcohol problems.
Bell admitted to behaving threateningly and abusively toward his partner via shouting, cursing, banging on the door repeatedly, and striking it with a piece of wood at his Perth residence on November 26.
The court ordered him to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and imposed a 12-month supervision order.
