Woman forced to barricade herself in room

A Scone woman barricaded herself - and two others - in a bedroom after her partner embarked on a daylong drinking session then unleashed a volley of abuse at her.

Twenty-three-year-old Taran Lush had been boozing with a friend during lockdown - and subsequently spent a night in the cells after he was arrested at the flat they shared in Scone’s Catmoor Avenue.

Perth Sheriff Court was told that police attended at the house in the early hours and found those involved “distressed and frightened”.

The accused, a water hygiene technician, admitted behaving in a threatening and abusive manner at the property on January 27, 2021, by shouting and swearing at his partner.

Part of the charge which alleged that he threw items around was deleted.

Depute fiscal Lisa Marshall said they had been in a relationship for six years but it had been “under strain” since the lockdown started last year.

Lush had been furloughed from his job and had been “drinking alcohol on a regular basis”.

She explained: “He had been drinking with a friend throughout the day.

“About 11.30pm, they got into an argument which ended with the friend leaving.”

The accused’s mood then “deteriorated from there,” added the fiscal.

He began shouting and swearing at his partner and claimed she was “making him out to be the bad person” in the relationship.

After barricading herself in the bedroom, she contacted other family members, one of whom went to the flat about 12.45am.

The accused’s partner had subsequently contacted the fiscal’s department to say she wanted the relationship to continue.

Sentence on Lush, who had gone to stay with his mother at Dunnock Park, had been deferred until this week and he had been ordered to stay out of further trouble.

Solicitor Jamie Baxter told the court on Wednesday: “There have been no further issues at the home address.

“He’s now back working after being furloughed.”

During the three-month deferral, he had been allowed back to live with his partner.

Passing sentence, Sheriff Neil Bowie said: “It appears that this was very much a one-off incident.

“Nevertheless, it would have been distressing for your partner at the time.

Taking into account that Lush had spent a night in custody and had not come to the attention of the police again, he was admonished.