A teenage domestic abuser who carried out a string of brazen attacks on his girlfriend when he was just SIXTEEN has dodged a jail term.
The boy, now 17, who cannot be named because of his age, subjected the girl to vicious attacks – all in front of their friends – including one where he held a burning hot lighter against her stomach, leaving her permanently scarred.
In another he strangled her, leaving her unable to breathe as she fought desperately to free herself.
The teenager could have faced a jail term after admitting five assault charges committed on the girl, also aged 16, over the space of eight months – but was instead given unpaid work and ordered to be supervised by social workers for two years.
A court heard how the pair started a relationship in October 2017 – and that within a matter of weeks the boy had begun subjecting her to violent assaults.
Fiscal depute David Bernard told Dundee Sheriff Court: “They had a volatile relationship and they argued regularly causing them to split up on many occasions before getting back together a few days later.
“During the arguments he would call her names and become physically abusive.
“In the first incident the complainer and a friend were outside McDonald’s during which time he kicked the complainer on the leg with force.
“On a date between April 15 and May 15 last year a friend of the complainer was at her home with the accused and a friend.
“During that time they were heard to argue in a bedroom and after some time the friend entered to see what was going on.
“She saw the accused grab her, pull her to the gruond and repeatedly punch her to the arms and legs.
“Around 2pm on May 4 the complainer and friends went to the accused’s home.
“For most of the afternoon they sat in the living room and the accused was playing with a lighter, repeatedly leaving it lit for long periods.
“About 4pm the complainer saw he was still playing with it and holding it lit.
“He said ‘guess what’ and she turned to face him and as she did so he pushed the tip of the lighter in to her exposed stomach.
“She immediately felt extreme pain as her stomach burned and tried to move off but he was too strong.
“Friends saw his actions and told him to stop and he removed it – but then pushed it in again.
“She believes it was held against her for around two minutes the first time and has been left with two scars on her stomach consistent with this incident.
“On July 5 they returned to his flat and let her enter first then followed her in.
“As soon as she was in he pushed her and began strangling her for two to three minutes.
“She scratched and punched him and eventually got free.
“In the final incident around 4pm on July 11 the complainer was at home when the accused arrived.
“After a period of time she refused to do something for him stating she was ‘not his maid’.
“He began to he butt her to the right arm and punch her arms and legs.
“He did this repeatedly and said he wouldn’t stop as she deserved it and began headbutting her arms again.”
The 17-year-old, of Dundee, pleaded guilty on indictment to five charges of assault committed between November 2017 and July 2018.
Defence solicitor Gary McIlravey said: “He accepts a custodial sentence will be at the front of your lordship’s mind.
“But given the background and his history there is plainly more to him than meets the eye.
“He is in a new relationship now and his partner is pregnant, expecting in three months or so, and there has been no repeat of these offences.”
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael imposed a community payback order with 180 hours unpaid work and two years supervision on the boy.
He further ordered the teenager to undertake a domestic abuse groupwork programme and take part in mental health treatment.
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