'Bad mood' Camelon dad chucked a chair which struck his pregnant partner on the head

Gary McDonald, 33, had come home from work in a “bad mood” when an argument erupted between him and his partner, who had recently announced she was pregnant with their fifth child.

Appearing at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday, McDonald had pleaded guilty to assaulting a woman to her injury – throwing a chair which struck her head – at his 8 Glenfuir Street, Camelon on March 3, 2022.

Procurator fiscal depute Rachel Hill said: “It was 5.45pm and the complainer was within the address along with her four children. The accused had returned home from work and was described as being in a bad mood.

"The accused and the complainer argued about various things. The complainer was lying on the couch and asked him not to take his bad mood out on her. He picked up a computer desk chair and threw it.

"The chair has struck the complainer to her right eye. She left the living room with blood running down her face and contacted police to tell them about the incident. The accused told officers ‘I picked up the chair and chucked it – I never meant to hit her’.”

Sheriff Maryam Labaki noted the complainer was pregnant at the time.

It was stated, at the time of the incident, McDonald had recently found out his partner was pregnant with their fifth child and she was in the “very early stages” of the pregnancy.

Sheriff Labaki said: “Throwing a chair at a pregnant woman is something that would warrant custody.”

In his social work report that noted McDonald’s negative attitude, he said he did not think he was suitable for the Caledonian domestic abuse project, saying he would not learn anything from it.

The court heard, following the attack, McDonald’s partner said she was “extremely fearful of repercussions”. However, it was stated McDonald was living together as a family with his partner and their five children.

Sheriff Labaki deferred sentence on McDonald until February 29 to get information on what his partner’s views of him are at this present time.