Man denies trying to lock ex in bathroom

A Larkhall man is alleged to have hit the door at an Ashgill house with an axe and tried to lock his ex-partner in a bathroom there.

John Johnstone, of Millburn Cottage, is also accused of repeatedly driving a car at excessive speeds towards a stationary car in Ashgill’s Rosslyn Road in which one of his ex-partner’s relatives was sitting. The 25-year-old denied charges of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner on Monday, July 17, at the Rosslyn Road address and driving dangerously in the street there.

He is alleged to have shouted, swore and behaved in an aggressive manner towards ex-partner Chloe Bunce at the Rosslyn Road address, tried to lock Ms Bunce in a bathroom there and to have hit a door with an axe and brandished the axe. Johnstone is further alleged to have repeatedly driven at excessive speed on July 17 on Rosslyn Road towards a stationary car in which Edmond Bunce was sitting and driving in an erratic manner.

He also denied charges of stealing a mobile phone from another address in Ashgill’s Rosslyn Road on the same date – as well as a charge of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner by shouting and swearing at Edmond Bunce in Rosslyn Road and having an axe in a public place without lawful authority.

At Hamilton Sheriff Court last week, Sheriff Allan Mckay set the trial for September 18 with an intermediate diet of August 21. Bail was granted meantime with conditions that included he does not enter, nor seek to enter, Rosslyn Road in Ashgill.