HOGMANAY TERROR: DUNDEE BRUTE IN PINK BALACLAVA THREATENED TO BLOW UP EX’S CAR
A man from Dundee with a long history of domestic abuse has been sentenced to prison after a series of violent and threatening actions against his partner over the course of a year.Josh McLean, aged 34, was found guilty of engaging in a pattern of controlling and abusive behavior that culminated in threats to kill, physical intimidation, and reckless driving incidents.
McLean’s reign of terror included threatening to kill his partner, as well as threatening to set her car on fire.
One particularly alarming incident occurred at a McDonald's drive-thru in Milton of Craigie, Dundee, where he deliberately shunted her vehicle in a furious outburst.
The court heard that during this confrontation, McLean, who was disqualified from driving at the time, drove his vehicle towards her car, colliding with the bumper and causing her to be pushed forward.
This aggressive act was accompanied by a voice message in which he ominously warned her, saying, “That’s just a taster mate.
Keep winding me up mate and see what happens.” Throughout the course of the year, McLean continued to exert influence over his partner even while incarcerated at HMP Perth and later at HMP Low Moss.
He encouraged her to retract statements she had made to police and prosecutors, attempting to manipulate her into silence.
Despite these efforts, the woman eventually severed all ties with McLean, recognizing the danger and toxicity of their relationship.
Details of McLean’s abusive conduct were laid out in Dundee Sheriff Court, revealing a disturbing history that spans over a decade.
The court was told that McLean and the woman had been in an on-and-off relationship for approximately ten months, although they had known each other for around twenty years.
The relationship was characterized by frequent conflicts and episodes of violence.
One particularly bizarre incident involved McLean pouring fizzy juice, specifically a can of Fanta, over the woman’s head during an argument.
The woman recounted that they were bickering, though she could not recall the exact reason.
McLean, holding the can, shook it and then poured the fizzy drink over her, causing her to rub her eyes and react defensively.
The incident led to her pulling over her car at Dundonald Street and Arklay Street, after which she drove away, leaving McLean on the street.
Further incidents included a disturbance at her home when she locked him out after he became intoxicated and abusive.
Following this, McLean bombarded her with insulting messages, including calling her a “dirty lying s***”.
The court heard that children were present during the McDonald's drive-thru incident around 8 pm, where McLean repeatedly demanded the return of some of his property.
When he approached her vehicle, he drove across a grass verge and stopped beside her, shouting at her while she attempted to de-escalate the situation by handing over some of his belongings.
McLean’s aggressive behavior escalated when he collided with her vehicle’s bumper, causing her to be shunted.
He then left a threatening voice note, warning her, “That’s just a taster mate.
Keep winding me up mate and see what happens.” He later called her from a withheld number, threatening to kill anyone else in her car and stating, “I am going to kill whoever else is in that car.
I’m going to stab whoever is in that car.
You will be dead by tonight.” In a separate message, he ominously declared, “You are lucky you never got stabbed last night.
Your car is definitely going up in flames.
It’s game on.” Despite being remanded in custody, McLean and the woman maintained some contact, although she later asked the Crown Office not to proceed with charges, claiming she was intoxicated when she sent emails about his conduct.
She later admitted this was not true and that she felt pressured by McLean.
The court also heard that McLean made vexatious complaints to social work about her and joked about her mother’s cancer diagnosis.
In addition to the domestic abuse charges, McLean pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified on August 8 and August 15, 2023, on streets in Dundee.
His solicitor, Billy Watt, described their relationship as “toxic” and noted that McLean was dealing with personal grief, having lost his brother in May this year, which he was unable to attend due to his remand status.
Watt expressed remorse on McLean’s behalf, stating that he was guilty early in the proceedings.
Judge Sheriff Eric Brown sentenced McLean to a total of 22 and a half months in prison and disqualified him from driving for 18 months, emphasizing the seriousness of his violent and controlling conduct.
The case highlights the ongoing issues of domestic abuse and the dangers posed by repeat offenders in Dundee.
——————————————————————————————————- ADDITION 09-12-2025 A Dundee man responsible for a frightening series of threats and harassment has been jailed after waging what the court described as a “relentless campaign” against his former partner.
Josh McLean, 36, repeatedly contacted the woman despite being under a non-harassment order that barred him from approaching or communicating with her until 2029.
The court heard that the abuse escalated in the days leading up to New Year.
On December 28, McLean breached the order by calling the woman multiple times and demanding she meet him at a car park in Campfield Square.
Days later, shortly after midnight, she saw him wearing a pink balaclava near his parked BMW, where he threatened to “blow up” her car — leaving her terrified.
His behaviour continued into early January.
Police officers attending the woman’s home confirmed they overheard McLean making further threats over the phone.
CCTV footage also placed him driving around Dundee despite being banned from the road.
McLean, who has a long history of domestic abuse convictions, admitted making threats, breaching the non-harassment order and driving while disqualified.
He appeared for sentencing via videolink from HMP Barlinnie.
Although his defence argued for a community-based sentence due to time spent on remand and his early guilty pleas, the sheriff ruled out any alternative to imprisonment.
The court stated that McLean’s repeated targeting of the same victim showed he was a “hardened domestic offender” and posed a continuing risk.
He was jailed for a total of 20 months and banned from driving for 10 years.
