A control freak who battered his partner so that the bruises would be hidden under her clothes and out of sight of her family and friends has been jailed.
Daniel Mudie subjected two women to horrendous abuse – choking one until she fell unconscious in an attack that a sheriff described as being “reminiscent of a pack animal asserting dominance”.
In another incident the second woman, then pregnant, was repeatedly spat on by Mudie, who then pushed her over causing her to fall on her stomach.
Unemployed Mudie, 35, who has previous convictions for assault to severe injury and for domestic assault, was jailed for four years and six months.
Sheriff Alastair Brown said his domestic abuse was “much worse” than someone who just lashed out at their partners, which was “bad enough”.
“You subjected them to ongoing emotional and physical abuse and in both cases you isolated them, made demeaning remarks causing loss of confidence,” he said.
“Neither society nor this court will tolerate domestic abuse.”
Fiscal depute John Adams said the attacks first took place while he was in a relationship with a woman for about five years.
He said: “After a period of time he became controlling and started assaulting her as well as remarking negatively on her appearance, which hit her confidence. He was frequently violent towards her.”
He said Mudie attempted to strangle her, causing her to pass out, punched her, pushed her down stairs and told her: “Look what you made me do,” and: “If you never opened your gob this would never have happened”.
“Police were contacted many times but she never proceeded with a complaint against him. However, when contacted in 2016 as part of an investigation into him she gave a statement,” he added.
“The second woman began a relationship with him in March 2010 and he would often threaten to commit suicide, was very controlling and tried to isolate her from friends or family.”
Mudie, of Foundry Lane, pleaded guilty to charges of assault to injury, committed between January 2004 and March 2009, of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner between October 2010 and October 2012, and another charge of assault between June 2010 and March 2011.
Defence solicitor John Boyle said Mudie had previously undiagnosed mental health problems and the offences occurred mainly due to his abuse of alcohol and drugs.
This article originally appeared on the Evening Telegraph website. For more information, read about our new combined website.