Thug wrapped cord round his partner’s neck

Terrifying assault in woman’s home

The morning after she returned home late from a night out, a St Ninians woman was attacked by her partner.

Douglas Haggart battered Melanie Moir (44) and left her bruised, lacerated and hoarse after an assault at her home on Cultenhove Crescent, St Ninians.

Falkirk Sheriff Court was told that Haggart (53) had been seeing Melanie for eight months before the incident on February 12 last year.

Prosecutor Graham McLachlan said: “He moved in with this lady shortly after the relationship began.

“There had been some issues in the relationship but really nothing of any consequence until the day in question.

“She had been out the night before with a friend and came in late, which caused a bit of bad feeling on the part of the accused.”

The depute fiscal said Haggart began by picking arguments with Miss Moir then at about 8.30am he assaulted her.

He punched her and kicked her on the head and body and when she protested he threatened: “Shut it or you’re getting it”.

Mr McLachlan said: “She describes his behaviour as being very unsettling and aggressive.

“During the course of this there was a dressing gown cord which he wrapped round her neck – a quite frightening experience for her.”

The prosecutor said that eventually Miss Moir got away and fled to a neighbour, who called the police.

Mr McLachlan said: “The neighbour said she appeared quite frightened, upset, and crying.”

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Miss Moir’s face was red and swollen, she had redness on her neck and cuts and bruises to her legs, shins, nose, right ear, and right arm.

Asking the court for a nonharassment order as well as a sentence, Mr McLachlan added that the doctor had noted: “Through the examination her voice was quite hoarse.”

Haggart, of Camelon, admitted assaulting Miss Moir to her injury.

Allegations that he had also abducted her, locked her in, detained her against her will, forcibly washed pills down her throat by pouring wine into her mouth, brandished a hammer, tied her hands and restricted her breathing were dropped.

Sheriff John Mundy deferred sentence until February 2 for a background report. He will decide on the application for a non-harassment order then.