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Axe-wielding thug held girlfriend prisoner in Perth flat

Kenneth Douglas flung his partner across the room and 'flushed her smart watch down the toilet' during the terrifying three-hour abduction.

Kenneth Douglas
Kenneth Douglas. Image: DC Thomson.

A domestic brute held his girlfriend prisoner inside his flat and used furniture to barricade the front door when police came to rescue her.

Kenneth Douglas wielded an axe, flung his partner across the room and “flushed her smart watch down the toilet” during the terrifying three-hour abduction.

Perth Sheriff Court heard how the woman, a care worker, tried about 40 times to escape from the flat in the city’s St Catherine’s Square.

Douglas flew into a rage after finding spam emails – including daily horoscopes – and believed they were evidence she was having an affair.

The 42-year-old appeared in the dock and admitted abducting and robbing his then-girlfriend on May 16 last year.

Russian women in the area

Douglas and his victim had been in an on-off relationship for some time and had known each other since high school.

During the evening, she was bombarded with texts from Douglas while she was working in Kirkcaldy.

The entrance to St Catherines Square, Perth.

He told her he did not believe she was at work and said he wanted to talk to her about “things” he found on her iPad.

When she got to his flat at 9.30pm, he accused her of cheating on him and showed her spam emails he had been looking at.

He thought a daily horoscope was from someone she was having an affair with.

He challenged her about an email regarding “Russian women in the local area,” demanding to know why she was speaking to Russian women and why was she pretending to be Russian to get people to speak to her.

The woman got into her pyjamas and hoped her boyfriend would just fall asleep.

‘Body bag’ comment and axe thrown

Douglas told her he had taken £100 from her account and showed her a wad of cash.

Fiscal depute Lee-Anne Barclay said the woman began to pack her bags, while the accused began throwing items – perfume bottles, hair straighteners and photo frames – around the flat.

“She got changed and went to leave the locus with a shoulder bag.

“However, when she approached the front door he blocked her from leaving.

“He said the only way she was leaving was in a body bag.”

Kenneth Douglas at an earlier court appearance in Forfar.

The court heard she managed to get out onto the landing but he grabbed her and pulled her back inside.

Ms Barclay said: “The complainer estimated that she tried to leave about 40 times.

“Each time, the accused grabbed her by the arms and shoulders, throwing her further into the property.”

One time, he hurled her so hard across the bed she landed on the floor.

Later, he threw an axe onto the bed. The woman moved herself on top of it, so Douglas could not get his hands on it.

The fiscal depute said: “He told her to phone the police, telling her he wanted ‘shot by police’ and it was all her fault.”

She told him he had gone too far and the relationship was over.

Dropped 999 call

Police received a dropped 999 call from the woman’s phone at about 12.45am.

When they called back, they heard a male voice say “it’s okay,” followed by a female saying “it’s not okay.”

When Douglas had seen his girlfriend using the phone, he had grabbed it from her hand and threw it across the room.

He then stamped on her iPad.

She took the call-back from police on her smart watch, which Douglas also took from her.

He left the room, came back and told her he had flushed it down the toilet.

Barricade

Two dispatched officers heard a commotion from Douglas’ flat and buzzed to be let in.

Ms Barclay said: “The accused began to barricade the door, dragging a large chest of drawers, a TV unit and a bedside table in front of it.

“When the doorbell rang, the complainer shouted for help.

“The accused threw items at her to try and keep her quiet.”

She shouted to police her boyfriend would not let her leave and that he had assaulted her.

Police managed to push their way inside, while Douglas attempted to force the door closed.

Once he was in handcuffs he said: “It’s the first time I’ve had a domestic in here.”

‘Sustained and violent attack’

Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said his client – who once took a tractor on a drunken joyride and forced police to set up a 17mph roving roadblock on the A90 – had been in custody since May 20 last year.

“He was extremely intoxicated and doesn’t remember anything at all,” he said.

Douglas had refused treatment for psychosis and had been using cocaine.

He told Sheriff Jennifer Bain it was his “first and last” domestic matter.

The sheriff replied: “The facts presented to me tell of a sustained and violent attack on your partner, during which you introduced an axe.

“It is clear the complainer found it to be a frightening ordeal which will no doubt have a lasting impact.”

She deferred sentencing for background reports.

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