A man who assaulted a series of “defenceless women” has been detained for a total of 14 months.
Sheriff Derek Pyle told Gary McPherson (20) it was “the end of the line” after he appeared from custody for sentence on a string of offences at Arbroath Sheriff Court.
The charges included attacking his girlfriend and her mother. McPherson, of Great Michael Road, Arbroath, had also pleaded guilty to butting an ex-girlfriend on the head.
Sheriff Pyle told him, “We’ve come to the end of the line and the fact of the matter is you are violent to defenceless women and accordingly a custodial sentence is the only option.”
McPherson admitted that on April 8, 2009, at Thompson Avenue, Carnoustie, he assaulted his girlfriend, pulled her to the ground, punched her on the head and body, and pushed her on the body, causing her to hit her head on the cooker, all to her injury.
He admitted assaulting his girlfriend’s mother at Thompson Avenue by repeatedly punching her on the head and body, pulling her hair and breaking her glasses, all to her injury. Both offences were committed while McPherson was on bail.
The court heard the couple had been in a relationship on-and-off for seven years and were living in Thompson Avenue with their eight-month-old son.
Depute fiscal Alistair Learmont said McPherson told his girlfriend a meal was ready and she asked him to put it in the microwave while she dealt with their son.
McPherson put it on the arm of the couch and told her to put it in the microwave herself.
Mr Learmont said he followed her into the kitchen and grabbed her by the hood of her top and spun her round and pushed her down on to the floor.
“She grabbed at him and managed to pull him on to the floor also,” he said.
“He then punched her on the head and body.”
They got up and McPherson grabbed her chest and pushed her backwards causing her head to bang on the hob area of the cooker, the depute fiscal said.
She sent a text message to her mother who arrived and asked what had happened. She went to phone the police.
“Seeing this, Mr McPherson pushed her, causing her to fall on the chair,” said Mr Learmont.
“He then began punching her while pulling her hair. He broke her glasses.”
McPherson had also admitted that November 4, 2010, at Newton Crescent, Arbroath, he assaulted a woman, seized her by the head and butted her on the head to her injury.
He had further admitted assaulting a man by jumping on his bed where he was lying, jumping on top of him and repeatedly punching him on the head and body.
The court heard the incident happened around 4.30am. The woman was an ex-girlfriend of McPherson’s who was staying at a friend’s house.
McPherson arrived and they began smoking cigarettes together. McPherson asked her to get some more. She refused.
“He assaulted her and headbutted her,” said Mr Learmont. “The people who owned the house were wakened by events and he was told to leave.
“He made his way to the front door but went into the bedroom.”
A man was sleeping in bed and McPherson started hitting him.
The offences were committed while McPherson was on bail.
Sheriff Pyle jailed McPherson for four months for the attacks on his ex-girlfriend and her mother, and imposed a 10-month sentence for the incidents at Newton Crescent. They will be backdated to March 3 when he was taken into custody.
McPherson was also admonished on charges of assaulting a man with a metal pole and of damaging a car with a metal pole in Carnoustie on April 8, 2009.
He was admonished on a charge of sending an offensive, menacing text message to his girlfriend on January 26, 2010, in Crieff.