Thug offered his ex £2k to drop charges

AMAN offered his ex-partner £2300 to drop domestic abuse charges towards him. Anthony Sweeney turned on the woman between March 2020 and last October.

The 23-year-old hit his victim with pencils and pens as well as striking her head against a bus shelter.

Sweeney breached a court order not to contact the victim by calling her up and bribing her with the cash he already owed.

Sweeney pleaded guilty yesterday at Glasgow Sheriff Court to eight charges which included assaulting his ex and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.

The majority of the incidents took place in Castlemilk.

The court heard Sweeney first struck just after the March 2020 lockdown.

Sweeney “prodded” a bookies pen into the woman’s arm and leg before damaging furniture.

The outburst took place in front of a two-year-old boy who was in the room. Months later, the woman was waiting at a bus stop when she was approached by Sweeney.

Prosecutor Lesley Chambers said: “He struck her to the head causing her head to hit off the bus stop.

“He then dragged her to the floor by the hair.”

The woman fought back and was momentarily able to overpower him.

But Sweeney grabbed her hand and bent it back causing bruising and swelling to her wrist.

She was then shoved onto the bus by Sweeney before it took off.

The hearing was told Sweeney also made verbal threats to the woman, stating “I’m going to slit your throat” after initially calling her to request the return of his games console.

Sweeney was first arrested at his home in Mount Florida, where he attempted to headbutt and bite an officer.

He was released on bail and told not to contact the woman in any way. Sweeney called the victim a week later but it was answered by her new partner.

He told him: “Get [the victim] to drop the charges and I’ll give her the £2300 I owe her.”

Sweeney was arrested again and hit with further bail conditions not to contact the woman, which were ignored.

He stated that he was in love with her and that she was “still his”.

In another call he threatened to kill the woman and her partner.

Sweeney eventually handed himself into police in February.

Susan Gibson, defending, will make her plea in mitigation at next month’s sentencing.

Sheriff Joan Kerr continued Sweeney’s remand in custody pending background reports.