Falkirk sheriff brands domestic offender's controlling behaviour 'primitive'

John Adams (27) appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court on Thursday having pleaded guilty to engaging in a course of behaviour which was abusive towards his partner between April 1 and July 13 last year.

Procurator fiscal depute Rachel Wallace said: “The complainer in this case had been in a relationship with the accused for five years and they have children together. He told her she couldn’t wear leggings as this meant men would be looking at her.

“He wouldn’t allow her to wear skinny jeans for the same reason. The complainer said he didn’t like men looking at her and was constantly telling her what to wear. If she wore something he didn’t like he would say ‘I will go and smash that guy’.

"She felt like she couldn’t wear anything – even a pair of jeans.”

Adams and the woman split up for a while but got back together again and his abusive, controlling behaviour continuted.

"The accused would disappear for days at a time,” said the procurator fiscal depute. “The he would come back and apologise. He said if he saw her out walking with a guy he would smash his face in.

“He said it wouldn’t matter if the man was a relation, she wasn’t allowed to go out with any male friends. The accused would threaten to kill himself and the complainer thought it was a way of attempting to control her.”

Sheriff Christopher Shead said Adams’ social work report was “one of the worst” he had ever seen in relation to a domestic offending case.

Steven Biggam, defence solicitor, said: Adams did not “understand what it is that’s going wrong from his perspective”.

Sheriff Shead mentioned Adams’ “primitive” behaviour and added: “This case has all the hallmarks of coercive control.”

He placed Adams, 13 Galloway Crescent, Broxburn, on a supervised community payback order for two years with the condition he complete 150 hours unpaid work within 12 months. He also made him subject to a non-harassment order not to contact his former partner for 12 months.