ABERDEEN MAN TOM O’NEILL SENTENCED AFTER HORRIFIC DOMESTIC ABUSE AND CONTROL IN ABERDEEN, KEITH, AND ELLON

A man from Aberdeen, Tom O’Neill, has been found guilty of engaging in a prolonged and severe campaign of domestic abuse and coercive control against his wife, spanning nearly four years and involving multiple locations including Aberdeen, Keith, and Ellon.

O’Neill, aged 30, was accused of installing surveillance equipment and exerting extreme control over his partner’s life. Court proceedings revealed that he had set up CCTV cameras within their home, allowing him to monitor her movements constantly. He also demanded that she listen to specific music, effectively dictating her daily routines and personal choices.

Further disturbing details emerged during the trial, including the fact that O’Neill installed a tracking application on his wife’s mobile phone, enabling him to track her whereabouts at all times. He also insisted that her phone conversations be recorded, and he physically assaulted her on multiple occasions. One particularly violent incident involved him grabbing her by the hair, punching her repeatedly, and temporarily restricting her breathing for approximately five seconds. After the assault, he reportedly said that his head was telling him to continue, and he resumed hitting her before stopping again.

Throughout the period from August 2015 to April 2019, the abuse was relentless. The court was told that O’Neill sent his wife an astonishing 27,500 messages over the course of a year alone, demonstrating the obsessive nature of his control. The prosecution highlighted that his behaviour was among the most severe cases of coercive and controlling conduct ever encountered by the sheriff.

In addition to the physical and emotional abuse, O’Neill demanded to know intimate details about his wife’s previous sexual relationships and questioned her for hours on end. His actions extended to dictating her music choices and monitoring her communications, creating an environment of constant surveillance and domination.

During the hearing, the prosecution’s representative, Pauline Gair, acknowledged that O’Neill might be suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), but emphasized that this did not excuse his behaviour. She stated, “He may be suffering from OCD but the defence may say more on that later.”

O’Neill pleaded guilty to a charge of engaging in a campaign of abuse, which included the assault and other controlling behaviours. His defence solicitor, Robert Cruickshank, argued that his client’s OCD was “being managed and under control” and that he had moved on from the relationship. Cruickshank also expressed that O’Neill had shown remorse, empathy, and disgust for his actions, asserting that he had matured significantly since marrying at the age of 20.

Despite acknowledging that the threshold for a custodial sentence had been met, Sheriff Sara Matheson decided against sending O’Neill to prison. Instead, she sentenced him to 270 hours of unpaid community work, placed him under social work supervision for two years, and mandated his participation in a programme designed for male domestic abusers. The sheriff warned that failure to comply with these conditions could result in a “substantial” custodial sentence, emphasizing the seriousness of his conduct and the importance of rehabilitation.