A self-confessed “Jekyll and Hyde” abuser is facing prison time for throttling his partner until she should could barely breathe, while making threats to kill her.
Perth council worker Paul McCafferty was hit with a 10-year non-harassment order in 2020 after he smashed a vase over his girlfriend’s head and tried to silence her with a pillow when police knocked on their door.
Despite that, the relationship continued, Perth Sheriff Court heard.
McCafferty, 47, returned to the dock and admitted attacking the same woman at his home on November 7 2023.
He also admitted causing a disturbance outside his partner’s property a month earlier.
And he pled guilty to breaching his non-harassment order.
McCafferty was warned to expect a prison sentence.
Banging on girlfriend’s door
The court heard he turned up at his girlfriend’s home in the city’s Letham area just after midnight on October 6 last year.
The woman was woken by knocking and shouting at the front door.
She asked another member of the family to speak to McCafferty and pretended she was not there.
McCafferty was told to leave or police would be called.
Fiscal depute Emma Farmer said: “He continued banging on the door and uttering threats such as ‘watch what happens’.
“He then went to the rear of the property where there was further banging and further threats being shouted.”
McCafferty could be heard calling his partner a “sket”.
A loud smash was later heard from outside.
When police arrived, they found the family “visibly shaken and upset”.
Squeezed her throat
The court heard, despite the non-harassment order, the couple met in the city centre on November 7.
After having drinks, they went back to McCafferty’s home in Drumhar Court.
Ms Farmer said: “He immediately became unhappy regarding the victim speaking with a male earlier on that evening.
“Without warning, he grabbed her by the throat with his hands and squeezed her throat hard, causing her to struggle for breath.
“During this, he repeatedly uttered threats to kill her.”
The fiscal depute said: “After pleading with him, he eventually released his grip.”
The pair went into the kitchen, where the woman “begged” to be allowed to use the toilet.
There she contacted a relative and asked them to phone police.
When officers arrived, they noticed the front door ajar and heard an argument from within.
They saw the victim with fresh reddening and bruises to the side of her neck.
As McCafferty was led away, he continue to shout at his victim and made threats to kill her.
Offending brought on by alcohol
Solicitor Linda Clark, defending, said: “Despite the 10-year non-harassment order being in place, the relationship has continued.”
She produced a letter from McCafferty’s partner, asking for the “restraining order” to be dropped.
“Mr McCafferty will described himself as something of a Jekyll and Hyde character.
“This is brought about by alcohol.”
She said her client had already spend 246 days on remand.
Sheriff William Wood deferred sentence for background reports but said: “Only a custodial sentence is appropriate.”
He told McCafferty: “It does seem that this is not a good relationship.
“It goes back over seven years and you have spent a lot of those seven years in custody as a result of your involvement with (the complainer).
“Perhaps, regardless of whether you love each other, its maybe a bit toxic.”
For more local court content visit our page or join us on Facebook.
