GRANT SHANKS SENTENCED IN EDINBURGH FOR DOMESTIC ABUSE AND STALKING
At the High Court in Edinburgh, Lady Poole delivered a comprehensive and stern sentence to Grant Shanks, a man found guilty of multiple serious charges related to domestic abuse and stalking.The court imposed an extended sentence totaling nine years, which includes a seven-year custodial period followed by a two-year period on licence within the community.
This decision underscores the gravity of his offenses and the court’s commitment to public safety.
Shanks was convicted after a trial that revealed disturbing details of his conduct.
He had previously pleaded guilty at the High Court in Livingston to disclosing an intimate photograph of one of his victims.
The jury, after hearing extensive evidence, also found him guilty of three additional charges involving two different women.
These included two counts of stalking, one with an aggravation related to his partner, and a serious domestic abuse charge with an aggravation involving a child.
During the sentencing, Lady Poole addressed Shanks directly, outlining the nature and severity of his crimes.
She recounted that the first victim had a brief relationship with him, during which she was subjected to stalking and intimidation.
She described her as being full of anger and shock, feeling threatened and frightened by his aggressive behavior.
The second victim endured over two years of emotional, violent, and sexual abuse.
Evidence presented in court detailed how Shanks isolated her from friends and family, threatened to kill her children, and exerted control over her finances.
His violent assaults included pulling her hair, punching, striking, and headbutting her.
On some occasions, he used improvised weapons such as a heavy ornament or a telephone, and there was an incident involving a knife.
These attacks left visible injuries on her body.
He also demanded sex from her, and when she refused, he would sometimes force himself upon her, even holding her by the throat to do so, risking her life.
Family and friends of the second victim testified to a noticeable change in her personality over the course of their relationship.
She transformed from a lively, well-dressed individual into someone unkempt and distressed.
After the relationship ended, Shanks further violated her privacy by sending a photograph of her intimate body part, accompanied by a caption, to another person.
Shanks himself admitted that this behavior was vile.
A victim impact statement highlighted the profound and lasting effects of his abuse, emphasizing the damage to her health, family relationships, and overall quality of life.
The court also considered a social work report which indicated that Shanks shows little remorse or insight into his actions and continues to pose a serious risk to future partners.
In mitigation, Shanks’s legal representatives pointed out that he has no prior convictions and has a good employment history.
They noted that he was in his early 20s during the offenses against his first victim, suggesting a lack of maturity at that time, although he was in his late 20s during the offenses against his second victim.
It was also mentioned that he initially indicated a willingness to plead guilty to one of the charges.
Despite his early guilty plea and lack of previous convictions, the court emphasized that society cannot tolerate domestic abuse.
The most serious charge, domestic abuse, warranted an extended sentence of nine years, with six months of this being attributable to the child aggravation.
The court justified the extended sentence, citing concerns that standard license conditions would not sufficiently protect the public from future harm, especially women he might form relationships with after his release.
During the extension period, Shanks will be subject to a license with conditions set by the Scottish Ministers.
Any breach of these conditions could result in his recall to prison and additional charges for any offenses committed while on license.
In addition to the extended sentence, Shanks received concurrent sentences for the other charges: four months imprisonment for each of the two stalking-related charges, with one month of that attributable to the partner aggravation, and an eight-month sentence for the remaining charge, reduced from a potential twelve months due to his early guilty plea.
His sentences are backdated to January 26, 2024, the date he was first remanded in custody.
Furthermore, Shanks has been placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely and has been listed by the Scottish Ministers as someone unsuitable to work with vulnerable groups.
The court also confirmed that the statutory criteria for non-harassment orders have been satisfied, reinforcing the measures to prevent further harm.
Overall, the court’s ruling reflects a firm stance against domestic violence and stalking, emphasizing the need for accountability and the protection of victims in Edinburgh.
