A young father has been jailed for breaching a court order after he cut off his electronic tag in order to see his children.
Conner McGowan, 23, of North Wellington Street, Hilltown, admitted removing the tag so he could see the children he fathered with Lori Roache.
At the time, he was forbidden from approaching Ms Roache as part of a two-month-long court order.
Solicitor David Duncan told Dundee Sheriff Court that McGowan only did this after Ms Roache phoned him and said if he didn’t see his children, he wouldn’t be allowed to see them at Christmas.
Mr Duncan said: “Mr McGowan has been in a long-term relationship which has been fraught with difficulty.
“His conditions related to offences that his partner was involved in but they continue to return to each other’s company and they share children together.
“She had contacted him by telephone and said to him, ‘if you don’t come to see the children now you’ll not get to see them at Christmas’.
“He cut off his tag and went round and has been unrestricted for the remainder of the three-week period.”
Mr Duncan added that Ms Roache was the “more switched on” of the pair and that she contributed to the couple’s difficulties.
McGowan, on the other hand, was described by the solicitor as “the blunt force…(who) falls for it every time”.
Jailing McGowan, Sheriff John Rafferty said that a custodial sentence was “the only option” in the case, but made allowances for two months already spent in custody from August-October.
He added: “You do have a history of domestic matters.”
McGowan was sentenced to six weeks in prison, reduced from two months, after admitting that on August 12 last year at North Wellington Street, Costcutter on Alexander Street and at Alexander Street that he failed to comply without reasonable excuse with the condition that he does not approach, contact or attempt to approach Lori Roache by following her, shouting at her, grabbing her by the body and pulling her by the same.
He was sentenced to an additional two months, reduced from three months, for assaulting Ms Roache by seizing her by the body and pulling her by the same, on March 18 last year at Gourdie Road.
The sentences will run consecutively.
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