A Perth man has denied nearly 20 years of domestic violence allegations, including claims he threw his pregnant girlfriend’s cat against a wall and pushed her face into a soiled litter tray.
Kevin McLaren faces a series of accusations featuring four women, dating back to 2002.
He is accused of 11 counts of assault, including two abductions in which he allegedly detained his then-girlfriends against their will.
The 37-year-old will stand trial later this year.
‘Detained against her will’
McLaren, of Grampian Court, Crieff Road, Perth, is accused of assaulting his then-partner on April 6, 2002, in a flat at the city’s Balgowan Road.
It is alleged he seized her by the arm, pulled her from the room and pushed her into a bathroom.
The charge states he abducted her by holding the door shut, repeatedly refusing to let her leave and detaining her against her will.
‘Threw cat against wall’
It is further alleged he assaulted another girlfriend between April 17, 2005 and October 1, 2005 at a property in Vennel Mews, Perth.
He is accused of assaulting her, spitting on her face and abducting her by blocking the front door to prevent her from leaving and detaining her against her will.
McLaren is accused of assaulting the same woman on occasions between April and October 2005 and between November 2005 and April 2006.
The latter date was when the woman was pregnant and he is accused of throwing hot food and household items at her, seizing her body and pushing her face into a soiled cat litter tray.
On February 3, 2006, at the Vennel Mews flat, is said to have again assaulted his pregnant partner, seized her cat and thrown it against a wall.
It is claimed, among other things, he grabbed her neck and compressed it, restricting her breathing, and repeatedly kicked her on the body to her injury and to the danger of her life.
The same woman is said to have been attacked between October 2006 and August 2007 at a property in the city’s Brahan Terrace.
He is alleged to have attempted to pull off her fingernails with her teeth, bitten her on the body and repeatedly kicked her and stamped on her body, all to her injury.
‘Endangered woman’s life’
On April 19, 2015, at a house in Grampian Court, it is alleged McLaren assaulted a third woman and threatened to kill her.
On Boxing Day, 2018, at a cottage on the Lawers Estate, Comrie, McLaren is accused of assaulting a fourth woman – described on court papers as his then-partner – including compressing her neck and causing her to strike her head against a wall, rendering her unconscious, to her injury and to the danger of her life.
Prosecutors also alleged he assaulted the woman at the same location, between February and March 2019.
The final charge McLaren faces alleges that between July 2019 and January, last year, at the Lawers Estate and elsewhere, he engaged in course of abusive conduct, repeatedly struck and mistreated the woman’s dog, shouted and swore at her, argued with her, repeatedly contacted her by phone, social media and text message, and made threatening and abusive remarks towards her.
McLaren denies all 12 charges.
The case called in his absence at Perth Sheriff Court on Thursday.
A trial was set for November 22.
