Children suffered catalogue of abuse

JAMES Skelly, 32, of Hawick Drive, appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court yesterday.

He pleaded guilty on indictment to five charges of assault and one of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner committed at addresses in Dundee and Burntisland, Fife, between December 2009 and December 2014.

Fiscal depute Kirsten Thomson said all three children had told police and social workers of the catalogue of abuse they had suffered.

She said: “All three children told police they were repeatedly physically abused by the accused.

“The oldest child recalled an occasion when he was grabbed and thrown against a wall, damaging it. He also remembered occasions when he was kicked in the stomach.”

Skelly also admitted attacking another ex — choking her until she began to feel light headed and prompting her to run from her flat in the middle of the night to seek refuge at Dundee Women’s Aid.

Deferring sentence until next month for social background reports, Sheriff Alastair Brown told Skelly: “This is a dreadful catalogue of abuse against vulnerable people, women and children.

“In the circumstances it appears to be almost impossible to avoid a significant custodial sentence.”

The sheriff remanded Skelly in custody.