A Fife man who grabbed and squeezed his ex-partner’s throat, racially abused her and spat on her while she was holding a toddler has been jailed.
Alexander McManus pled guilty to engaging in a course of abuse over ten months which also included pushing the woman against a wall, repeatedly recording her on his mobile phone, acting in an aggressive manner towards her and turning up at her home uninvited.
The charge also said he repeatedly sent messages to her through his Xbox Live games console.
The domestic abuse offending took place between June 2020 and March 2021.
Throat squeeze
McManus, 31, of Primrose Lane in Rosyth, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
Procurator fiscal depute Zahra Bhatti told the court that on one occasion, McManus pushed the woman onto a bed and using one hand, “squeezed her throat.”
When he eventually got up to leave, he spat on the woman.
The court heard on another occasion the couple had been arguing and McManus spat on the woman and the saliva struck in the face a young child she was holding.
McManus, who was in full time employment selling windows and doors, was then heard by witnesses calling the woman a racial slur.
Jailed
Sheriff Charles Macnair described some of the offending as “extremely serious.”
He told McManus: “Namely, seizing her by the throat and compressing – you are perhaps fortunate you were not on indictment for attempted murder.
“The spitting happened on repeated occasions.
“You have a record including domestic abuse and this was aggravated by racial abuse.
“It must be made clear this behaviour under any circumstances will not be tolerated.
“Having regard to the nature of offending I have reached a conclusion there is no appropriate alternative but a custodial sentence.”
McManus was sentenced to 250 days in prison.
Defence solicitor Stephen Morrison said his client was involved in a toxic relationship, which involved abuse coming from both sides.
