A jealous boyfriend has admitted he used to smell his partner’s underwear after she came home from nights out to check if she’d been cheating on him.
Nicholas Benedetti put his fingers up his girlfriend’s nose to test for cocaine, regularly checked her for lovebites and sniffed bedsheets for traces of other men.
The 22-year-old appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court and pleaded guilty to a 16-month campaign of abusive behaviour.
The court heard that Benedetti and his victim were in a relationship from 2016 to 2019.
Fiscal depute Claire Bremner said: “Throughout the relationship, the accused was jealous and possessive.
“He would send her text messages when she was out with friends to come home.”
Snapchat threats
Ms Bremner said Benedetti, of Milnwood Court in Glenrothes, regularly checked on his partner.
On one occasion in August 2019, the woman went for a night out and it was “apparent” that Benedetti was unhappy when he dropped her off at the train station.
When she was on the train, he began sending her messages on Snapchat threatening to kill himself if she did not come home.
On another occasion in October 2019, Benedetti became angry when his partner went to a party.
When she returned, he pushed her onto a bed and placed both hands on her neck for 20 to 30 seconds, leaving her scared and struggling to breathe.
Checking for cocaine
Ms Bremner explained the couple got back together about three times in 2019.
In December, the woman went on a night out with her sister. She returned home at about 6.30am on December 22 and was met by the accused.
Ms Bremner said: “The accused put his fingers up her nose and tasted them to see if she had been taking cocaine.”
Benedetti then placed his hand on her private parts before putting his hands in his mouth to check for semen.
The court heard he would regularly check her body for love bites and would smell her underwear and bedsheets.
On another occasion, he left a suicide note and also sent her a photograph of him cutting his arm with a kitchen knife.
Lengthy charge
Benedetti pleaded guilty to a sizeable charge of engaging in a course of behaviour which was abusive towards the woman.
All of the abuse took place between April 2019 and July 2020 at an address in Glenrothes and elsewhere.
‘Not sexually motivated’
His solicitor David Bell said: “He was still pretty young when this abuse was happening.
“Given what the complainer has said in terms of the behaviour, it wasn’t for gratification.
“It was seriously controlling behaviour.”
Sheriff James Williamson agreed that Benedetti’s actions were not sexually motivated and did not place him on the sex offenders register.
The sheriff said: “As Mr Bell says, don’t think this is not a matter for which you can go into custody.”
He ordered a report and released Benedetti on bail until March 9.
