Wife was held prisoner in horror ordeal Woman assaulted during torment

A man locked his wife inside a Motherwell house for hours and assaulted her after accusing her of being unfaithful to him.

Kevin Frew watched horror films while refusing to let wife Cheryl out of the Lindum Street property.

Last Friday, Frew (26) admitted a charge of abducting and assaulting his 25-year-old wife at the house on the October 23 last year.

The couple had been married for eight years and had two children together, who were not present at the time.

Fiscal depute Mohammed Sarwar told Hamilton Sheriff Court last Friday Mrs Frew had been speaking to her sister in Aberdeen on the telephone at 11.45pm.

Her sister’s son had been locked in a garage there by people unknown, he said. On hearing this the accused became angry and stated that he wanted to travel to Aberdeen.

Mrs Frew, however, terminated the call. Her husband then grabbed the phone from her and placed it in his pocket.

An argument began in which the accused acted aggressively and accused his wife of cheating on him.

He locked the house’s rear and front doors and put the keys in his pocket. Mr Sarwar said Mrs Frew was fearful and alarmed.

As Frew made his way upstairs his wife hid her own set of keys underneath the washing. But Frew returned stating: ‘Where the f*** are those keys? I’m not f ****** stupid.’

He found her keys, put them in his pockets, and grabbed her by the ponytail before bending her backwards and dragging her by the hair into the living room, stating: ‘You never know when to shut the f*** up.’

Mr Sarwar said the complainer was terrified and begged Frew to let her go to her mother’s house. He refused and would not give her the door keys.

While Mrs Frew was sitting on a sofa the accused grabbed her by the hair with his clenched right fist with such force that her hair fell out.

The fiscal depute said Frew pulled her by the hair 10 times.

He also told her to lay down. As he approached she put out her left arm to protect herself and he bit her forearm, causing bruising.

Mr Sarwar pointed out that Frew continued to watch horror films while refusing to let his wife out of the premises.

At one point he also bit her left cheek and grabbed her on the face and body causing bruising to her leg and arms.

Two to three hours into the incident Frew told his wife to go upstairs and followed her there. He told her to change into her nightclothes, but she refused and went downstairs.

Frew grabbed her by the hair and began to pull her up and down the hall floor. Mrs Frew told her husband he was scaring her, but he told her to ‘shut up.’

Downstairs, Frew put the back door key in the lock and snapped the top it off, leaving it stuck there. The fiscal depute said Frew laughed as he carried this out.

Mrs Frew tried to open a window and shout for help, but he stopped her from doing so.

Mr Sarwar pointed out: “A significant time later the complainer noticed the keys fell to the floor from the accused’s trouser pockets.

“She grabbed the keys and fled from the property. She began to shout for help.”

Frew made his way to the front door and gave his wife her phone back before returning to the living room.

Mrs Frew contacted the police on the phone and officers arrived at 5.02am. They noted she was upset and crying while the accused was asleep in the living room. Frew was detained.

Mrs Frew’s injuries included several bruises on her upper arms and forearms, a bite mark to her left forearm and scratches and a bite mark on her face, bruising to her legs and red broken skin on her scalp as well as hair loss.

Sheriff Shiona Waldron deferred sentence on Frew, of Angus Avenue, Motherwell, until May 22 for a criminal justice social work report and restriction of liberty order assessment. Bail was continued meantime.

She grabbed the keys and fled from the property