A MAN WHO ASSAULTED HIS GIRLFRIEND BY THROWING HER AGAINST A WALL HAS BEEN SENTENCED TO A COMMUNITY PAYBACK ORDER.
Following an evening at a pub in Newport-on-Tay, Troy McRae forcibly broke down a locked bathroom door to reach his victim.He destroyed a glass window panel and tore the door from its hinges.
At Dundee Sheriff Court, it was stated he seized her by the neck and forcibly pushed her against a wall, causing her head to rebound.
He then threw her onto the floor, resulting in her head striking a sink.
His assault ended only after friends intervened, leaving her collapsed on the ground.
Soon after, as McRae exited the house, she fell in the hallway, prompting emergency responders to be summoned.
His violent behavior spilled outside, where he assaulted a neighbor who had come to check on the commotion.
Prosecutor Susan Ruta explained that the man and woman had known each other for approximately a year but were only dating for about four weeks.
The incident took place in June of the previous year, following a night drinking at a local pub.
The argument at Brig o’ Tay pub led to his partner and her friends leaving to go home.
McRae rejoined them ten minutes later, visibly upset and refusing to calm down.
He threw a female friend onto a sofa and smashed a coffee table against the wall.
Later, he retreated to a bedroom, while the woman locked herself inside and prepared a bath.
The situation intensified when he knocked on the bathroom door.
The court heard she suffered a swollen left eye from the assault, and she told paramedics she lost consciousness but did not require hospitalization.
McRae, who resides in Dundee, pleaded guilty to three counts of assault, one of threatening and abusive behavior at a Newport-on-Tay address on May 29-30 last year, and to breaching bail on June 9, 2015.
Defense solicitor George Donnelly highlighted that an ambulance check found no visible injuries and no medical evidence of unconsciousness.
He added that McRae was a first offender and had no prior incidents of similar conduct.
Despite a bail condition against contact, the court was told the couple continued their relationship, with police discovering McRae at her residence during a welfare check.
They observed the two through a window before the woman claimed she was alone when they entered.
McRae was found hiding beneath her bed.
The sheriff sentenced him to a community payback order with 270 hours of unpaid work and one year of supervision.
Sheriff Brown commented, “The offences you pleaded guilty to appear to constitute a serious assault,” underscoring the gravity of the case.
