A sheriff has blasted a callous Perth boyfriend who attempted to blame his victim for his own campaign of cruelty.
Daniel Anderson admitted engaging in an abusive course of conduct towards his girlfriend at a property in Perth’s Primrose Crescent.
The city’s sheriff court heard how he bombarded his partner with phone calls and menacing text messages, encouraging her to self-harm.
On one occasion, the 27-year-old seized his girlfriend and pulled her down a set of stairs.
He also told her not to take her medication.
Anderson, of Fechney Park, was ordered to pay his ex £1,000 in compensation, at a rate of £100 per month.
He was placed on supervision for two years and ordered to engage with the Caledonian Programme, which supports male domestic abusers to address their offending.
How abusers justify their behaviour
Landscape gardener Anderson was charged under the Scottish Government’s 2018 domestic abuse laws that classified for the first time a wide range of relationship “psychological harms” as criminal offences.
He tendered a guilty plea mid-way through his trial, after his victim had given her evidence.
However, despite admitting his guilt, Anderson continued to deny some of his actions to social workers and even tried to pin the blame on his girlfriend.
At a sentencing hearing on Wednesday, Sheriff Euan Duthie raised concerns that Anderson had “attempted to minimise the seriousness of the offence by putting blame on the victim’s behaviour”.
Solicitor Paul Ralph, defending, said: “We are seeing more and more of this types of cases in court and this is almost symptomatic of the way abusers attempt to justify their own behaviour.”
Mr Ralph said this made his client an ideal candidate for the Caledonian Programme.
“He knows that it will be a long and tough road, but he is ready to embark on it,” the solicitor said.
Fiscal depute Marie Lyons confirmed that Anderson’s partner was in favour of the court issuing a non-harassment order to keep her ex at bay.
‘You are totally to blame’
Sheriff Duthie told Anderson: “I’m extremely concerned by the contents of this social worker report, in which you have attempted to put the blame on the victim’s behaviour.
“Be in no doubt, you are totally to blame.
“This incident was entirely your fault.”
The sheriff added: “Although I am concerned about your lack of insight, it does suggest that the Caledonian Programme would be appropriate.”
Anderson, who is about to start work in the demolition sector, admitted an abusive course of conduct between November and December 2020.
He also admitted breaching a bail order by approaching his ex at Tesco in Blairgowrie, in February 2021. Sentence was deferred on the breach matter for six months.
