Prison and driving ban for drunken Camelon thug who attacked his partner and her sister

Barry Cassidy (50) appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday having admitted the assaults he committed in Church Street, Stenhousemuir on April 20. He also pled guilty to failing to provide a breath specimen on April 21.

Procurator fiscal depute Collette Fallon said: “The complainer had been in a relationship for three years with the accused and was living with her. They also had a five-year-old son together.

“It was 11pm and the woman was in her home with her son and her sister, who was staying for the weekend. The accused entered the address and was intoxicated. He approached his partner, causing her to back against a wall, and asked her for his car keys.

“She told him she didn’t know where they were and he began to shout in her face. Her sister made her way to the accused and told him to stop. Cassidy grabbed his partner’s sister by her hair and dragged her to the floor, kicking her to the head and body.

“His partner, who had been holding her five-year-old son at the time, put him down and then tried to stop Cassidy attacking her sister. He punched his partner and she fell to the ground, where he punched her in the throat and her body.

“The accused then turned his attention back to the sister, who was still on the floor, and began kicking her on the head and the body. The sister kicked out at the accused to fend him off and struck him in the face, which caused him to halt.

“His partner then gave the accused his car keys and she and her sister went through to the living room to get away from Cassidy, who then left the address.”

Calls were made to police and they caught up with Cassidy just after midnight. He failed to register on the breath test because he was not blowing hard enough, despite being repeatedly told to do so by officers.

Stephen Biggam, defence solicitor, said: “He is uncertain as to where his relationship with his partner will go. He is a man who has been to jail before and has come out with certain difficulties.”

Sheriff Christopher Shead sentenced Cassidy, 41 Sunnyside Road, Camelon, to seven months in prison and banned him from driving for 12 months.