Bully boy batters ex in Grangemouth attack and then calls her up for a loan

James McDougall, 31, then had the audacity to call her up a couple of weeks later – ignoring his court orders not to contact her – and ask her for a loan of £300 because he was out of work.

He told her he knew she had the money to give him because her father had just died.

McDougall appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday having admitted assaulting a woman to her injury on November 30 last year and breaching his bail conditions not to contact her on December 12, 2023 at an address in Central Avenue, Grangemouth.

The court heard McDougall and the woman had been in a relationship for seven years and have two children together.

"There relationship ended in 2023,” said procurator fiscal depute Lucy Clarke. “At the time there was an arrangement in place where the accused was allowed to car for the children every second weekend.

"However, due to the death of her father the accused had been living at the address to support her with the children. He attended at the address and asked to see the children.

"She said she no longer wanted him to stay at the address. It was 7pm when he returned and she attempted to refuse him entry, but he made his way into the hallway and thereafter punched her on her head, causing a small cut to the side of her mouth.

"She contacted police to report the assault. When officers attended the accused was within the address.”

When officers confronted him with his crime he stated: “It’s bulls**t.”

A couple of weeks after the assault McDougall breached his bail conditions by contacting his former partner.

The procurator fiscal depute said: “It was 2pm and she was in her home address when she received a phone call from the accused, talking to her about being together.

"He asked her for a loan of £300 because he was currently out of work. He told her he knew she had the money because her father had recently passed away. She refused and he became irate, shouting and swearing down the phone at her.

"He said ‘I hope you send the money on the weans’ and added ‘you’ll be the lonely one in the end, I can guarantee it’.”

Lynn Swan, defence solicitor, said McDougall had discovered his partner had been cheating on him.

Sheriff Alison Michie said that was no excuse for his violent actions.

"You have hit your partner of seven years on the head causing her injury and then contacted her to threaten and abuse her,” she added.

McDougall, 4 Hillside Terrace, Westquarter, was placed on a supervised community payback order for two years with the condition he engages with the Caledonian domestic abuse programme.

He was also ordered to complete 135 hours of unpaid work within 12 months and made subject to a non-harassment order not to have any contact with his ex partner for 12 months.