Jail for thug who was abusive towards three generations of women

Sheriff:‘clearly you are a man disposed to violence’

A man who was abusive towards three generations of a family has been branded a danger to women and sent to prison for nine months.

Dean Bowman bombarded his former partner with unwanted phone calls, throttled his then mother-in-law and upset a 74-year-old woman during a confrontation in a community centre.

He admitted charges of assault and abusive or threatening behaviour spanning nearly three years when he appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court last week.

The court heard Bowman (29), of Bruce Street, Plains, shouted abuse towards his partner Gemma Smith and her mum, Gail, at a house in Burns Wynd, Stonehouse, in September 2012.

Fifteen months later he assaulted Gail Smith in Glasgow’s West Nile Street, putting his hand over her mouth and pushing her to her injury.

Then, in June 2015, Bowman attacked Gail Smith again at a house in Myers Crescent, Uddingston. He grabbed her, compressed her throat, held her against a wall and pushed her repeatedly to her injury.

The following month Anne Smith, then 74, became the target of his wrath as Bowman yelled at her and “acted aggressively towards her” at Fallside Community Centre in Mcculloch Avenue, Viewpark.

In October last year Bowman was ordered to do 135 hours of unpaid community work after he admitted a course of conduct on April 10 and 11 last year which caused Gemma Smith fear and alarm.

He made a “grossly excessive” number of phone calls to her and sent a series of “intimidating” texts, despite knowing his attention was unwanted.

Defence agent Tom Watters said the situation in April arose after Bowman ended his relationship with Ms Smith, leaving her “devastated”.

He claimed she wanted to get back together, but Bowman had found a new girlfriend and when she discovered this Ms Smith refused to let him have contact with their child.

Mr Watters said it was after Ms Smith reported him to the police last year that the previous incidents involving her and other female members of her family came to light.

The solicitor said: “If it was not for his attempts to see his son and her reaction then, almost certainly, there would not have been a criminal prosecution against Mr Bowman.

“There are two sides to every story. By and large they were on good terms, but there were fall-outs from time to time, particularly with his mother-in-law. They did not see eye-to-eye.

“He accepts his behaviour was wrong, but has some difficulty accepting it amounted to criminality.”

Mr Watters said Bowman had complied with the community service order imposed in October, but Sheriff Allan Mckay said only prison was appropriate on this occasion.

He told Bowman: “You have several previous convictions for assault and it’s clear you are a man disposed to violence.

“Your attitude is that these women were to blame for your conduct. You do not accept you were wholly responsible.

“You were dangerous and abusive towards women over a period of several years.

“In my view you remain a dangerous man in relationships, to females in particular.”