Controlling prisoner made partner's life hell from Polmont YOI

Shea Donnelly (21) tried to tell his partner how she should be living her life through multiple phone calls from the YOI over a frightening stretch of four days.

Appearing at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday, Donnelly whose address is still listed as Polmont YOI despite now being released, had admitted engaging in a course of behaviour which was abusive towards his former partner between February 8 and February 12.

Procurator fiscal depute Sarah Smith said: “The accused and the witness had been in a relationship for three years and had been living together. He was serving a sentence in Polmont YOI and the witness had reconciled her relationship with the accused following the birth of their child.

“When he was in prison she visited him four or five times a week and regularly received phone calls from him.”

The trouble began when the woman decided to end her relationship with Donnelly, who was still incarcerated.

“She continued to receive phone calls from the accused,” said the procurator fiscal depute. “He made several comments during the calls, saying he was going to take their child and leave the country and that the child didn’t need anyone but him.

“There were a large number of calls made from the prison to the witness’s mobile phone and the accused’s parents’ home where she was living. The accused was aggressive towards her regarding his view of the care she was providing their child.

“He told her, ‘I’m not letting you take my daughter away – that’s one thing I’m not letting you do. No one will do that to me – I will kill them. I think you all underestimate me a wee bit’.

"He added, ‘I don’t think realise what I would do for her, because I tell you I will kill for her when I get out’.”

Donnelly also threatened the witnesses mother saying she would be “sorry” when he got out of the YOI, adding it was her fault he was in prison.

The phone calls continued with Donnelly upset with his former partner when she said she was going out with her friends.

He said she was not providing him with enough attention and told her she should be “waiting on him getting out of jail”.

Donnelly then informed her he had “several ways of finding out what she has been up” and supposedly had several people monitoring her.

The court heard Donnelly, who was released from custody in April, had not contacted his former partner since he committed the offence and had been taking legal steps to see his daughter without his former partner being involved.

It was stated that Donnelly’s comments from inside the YOI were nothing but “empty threats”.

Sheriff Derek Livingston continued the case until December 24 to ask the complainer is she wanted a non harassment order and a restriction of movement order to be imposed on Donnelly.