An “abusive” Aberfeldy man is standing trial charged with a string of violent offences, including punching a dog so hard it collapsed.
Jurors in Perth heard evidence from Adam Weir’s former partner, who described the 37-year-old becoming enraged when she told him she was pregnant.
The woman, appearing by video link, said: “He didn’t want [the child].
“I told him that I was pregnant and that’s when he held me up against the wall by my neck.
“It was in the kitchen. I was scared. He lost his temper.”
Baby threat allegation
The woman, also 37, went on to allege Weir told her: “We’re too young to have a baby.
“I’ll f***ing kick the baby out your tummy.”
The woman fled to her parents’ home near Edinburgh for the duration of her pregnancy.
Weir denies assaulting and injuring the woman and threatening violence towards her unborn child at his home in Churchill Court, Aberfeldy, on an occasion in February or March of 2008.
She also gave evidence about an alleged incident in 2011 or 2012, in which she accused Weir of slapping her while she was holding a child.
She said police attended and took Weir away but she later wrote to the Crown Office asking that the charges be dropped as Weir had agreed to attend anger management.
Dog punch claims
It was only in June last year the pair’s 16-year-long relationship finally ended due to what she said was a string of events.
They include an allegation that in April or May last year, Weir punched their dog Scruff at Aberfeldy Golf Club.
He is accused of punching the mature German Wirehaired Pointer/ Saluki’s head so hard it collapsed.
The woman said Weir reacted violently when the dog knocked over a toddler.
“He was our dog,” she said.
“Scruff ran right past Mr Weir and knocked him [the child] over.
“Mr Weir got angry and punched him to the extent that the dog collapsed on the ground in front of three children.
“He was really angry at the dog.
“He (the dog) just collapsed. I think he was a bit dazed.
“Mr Weir put the lead on him and started dragging him up.
“He told us it had f*** all to do with us.
“I said ‘you’re out of order, Adam, you didn’t need to do that’.”
The dog was never taken to the vet.
Further charges
Weir is also alleged to have called a small girl a “twisted c***” last June and in April or May of 2020, attempted to drag a schoolboy down a staircase.
On another occasion in 2019, Weir is alleged to have struck the boy’s back.
In total, Weir is facing ten charges, all of which he denies.
Weir is alleged to have acted in a manner “likely to cause fear or alarm” towards his former partner between 2013 and June 2020, making derogatory remarks and threats to kill.
He is also accused of, in the final 14 months of their relationship, restricting the woman’s access to money, controlling who she could see and when and isolating her from her friends and family.
After the couple had split up, the woman alleged Weir threatened to kill himself.
The trial before Sheriff Euan Duthie at Perth Sheriff Court continues.
