A husband from hell who set the tone for decades of married misery by battering his bride on their wedding day was on Tuesday jailed for three years.
John Ormond put wife Linda – who he was married to for 35 years – through decades of torment with repeated violent attacks that often hospitalised her.
In tearjerking evidence at a trial at Dundee Sheriff Court she told how vile Ormond even set about her after they returned home from their wedding in August 1980 – battering her and ripping her “going away” outfit.
She told jurors that she stuck by Ormond despite the horror start to their marriage because “we were married in a church and I stuck to the vows as much as I could until I couldn’t take any more”.
Fiscal depute Vicki Bell told the jury: “For better or for worse is the vow I assume she refers to.”
Dundee Sheriff Court heard Ormond and his wife separated in 2005 before finally divorcing in 2015.
Incredibly, brazen Ormond was still touting for bookings for his mobile DJ business in the days leading up to his trial – and his advocate on Tuesday told a court he still denies the offences.
A sheriff told Ormond – who said the allegations against him were “vindictive” that he had shown “no remorse” and jailed him for three years.
The trial heard that a year before their wedding Ormond broke Linda’s arm after he chased her, pushed her down and repeatedly kicked her.
Despite that she went through with the wedding – only to be attacked when they returned home from their reception.
Ormond then subjected her to years of torment – on one occasion nine years into their marriage brutally beating her and kicking her on Christmas Day, leaving her with broken ribs.
But his wife covered up the abuse – refusing to tell doctors who treated her how she came by the injuries until decades later.
The court was told that Ormond “ruined everything – from holidays to Christmas” for his family for decades.
Fiscal depute Vicki Bell told the jury: “Crime has no sell by date in Scotland.
“These crimes date back to the 70s. We are dealing with a catalogue of prolonged abuse.
“Many of the charges followed a similar pattern – he would come home from the pub, be heard coming up stairs then crash, bang, wallop.
“Look at how the attitudes in society have changed since the 70s.
“Back then it was a case of what happens behind closed doors stays behind closed doors.
“Back then the police said he was the owner of the house and had nowhere to go so she had to let him back in.
“She says she married him because she loved him, pure and simple.
“She said ‘I was 19, very young and silly and was ashamed to tell the truth. It was embarrassing to say I’d been assaulted’.
“’We were married in a church and I stuck to the vows as much as I could until I couldn’t take any more.’
“For better or for worse is the vow I assume she refers to.”
Ormond, 67, of Christies Lane, Montrose, denied a total of 15 charges of assault on Linda and a child.
A jury of seven men and seven women took just two hours to find him guilty of 12 of the charges, with the remaining three not proven.
The offences were committed between 1979 and 2004.
Defence advocate Jonathan Crowe said: “His position remains that he continues to deny the allegations.
“They tried to rekindle their relationship after they separated in 2005 but they finally divorced in 2015.
“The prospect of a custodial sentence fills him full of dread – he broke down when I spoke to him about it last night.”
Sheriff Tom Hughes jailed Ormond for three year and imposed a one year supervised release order to monitor when he is freed.
He said: “You were convicted of some quite appalling conduct.
“It is clear you have caused catastrophic consequences to your victims.
“You don’t accept in any way that you were involved in the matter and that you have no remorse.
“You say they are vindictive and making this up.
“That’s not the view of the jury who accepted their evidence.”
Detective Constable Susan Teare of Police Scotland’s Domestic Abuse Task Force said: “Police Scotland welcomes the sentencing today of John Ormond. The victims in this case should be commended for their bravery in coming forward during the police investigation.
“He had previously been found guilty at Dundee Sheriff Court of assaulting one partner and one child over a period of 26 years, his offending going back as far as 1978.
“Today’s sentence highlights Police Scotland’s on-going commitment to tackling domestic abuse and abuse towards children, regardless of when it has taken place.
“This case again underlines that domestic abuse is not acceptable and that Police Scotland will robustly investigate all Domestic Abuse related crimes ensuring that we keep people safe. We would encourage anyone who is, or has been, a victim of domestic abuse to come forward.”
