The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Ex-police officer avoids prison for brutal attack
Stuart Doran accepted full responsibility for assaulting woman
A Fife police officer who carried out a vicious attack on his former partner which left her with 17 separate injuries has dodged a prison sentence.
Stuart Doran appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court yesterday after previously admitting the assault, which took place on November 28 last year.
The 38-year-old, who was given a medal for bravery during his seven-year service with the police, accepted full responsibility for the incident but claims he cannot remember it.
Doran, of Altyre Avenue in Glenrothes, resigned from the force just one day before appearing in the dock.
The court was previously told how the brute grabbed his partner, who is also a police officer, in the bedroom of a property in Markinch.
He began to straddle her on the bed before seizing her by the neck. He then bit her on the face and body and placed his hand over her nose and mouth.
The woman managed to escape from his clutches and ran to the garage area, where she told witnesses: “He beat me.”
Doran also admitted a second charge of breaching his bail conditions by contacting his victim after the attack.
He was remanded in custody and spent 20 days – including Christmas – behind bars.
Defence advocate Shelagh McCall QC said: “He resigned from the police service, which was a career that he always wanted.
“He received a commendation for bravery after saving someone’s life.
“Another consequence of his actions which he must accept is the damage to his relationship with the complainer. It is unclear how that will be going forward.”
She added that as a consequence of breaching his bail, Doran had been remanded in custody.
She said: “He was remanded over Christmas for 20 days. Given his employment, he was segregated from others.
“He was vulnerable because of that and because of his mental health. He was locked in his cells for 23 hours a day.”
The defence agent said Doran had resigned when he realised his position with the force was “untenable” and he had since begun retraining as a tiler.
Sheriff Jamie Gilchrist QC said he had been persuaded there was an alternative to custody and instead ordered Doran to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
He said: “This is a very serious matter. The nature of the assault described was horrific to some degree.”
Doran was placed under supervision for two years and ordered to complete an offence-based work programme alongside alcohol and mental-health treatment.