Serial abuser choked woman and made sectarian remarks

A serial domestic abuser has been convicted after choking his partner and making abusive remarks to another woman.

Peter Muir, of Drylie Street Cowdenbeath, admitted the offences at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

The 60-year-old admitted making offensive remarks to Anne Duffy, his then partner, about her religion between October 2010 and December 2012.

The threatening and abusive behaviour took place at various addresses in Lochgelly, Cowdenbeath and elsewhere in Fife.

Muir also pled guilty to seizing and compressing the neck of another woman and punching her on the face between January 2013 and May 2015 in Lochgelly.

Sheriff Pino di Emidio called for reports and deferred sentence until July 4.

Muir previously went on trial for domestic abuse last year and changed his plea to guilty after some evidence was given.

He admitted assaulting a woman by pushing her, seizing her by the throat, compressing it, restricting her breathing and shouting sectarian remarks at her in May 2015 on Grainger Street, Lochgelly.

Muir had already admitted a second charge of pushing a woman against a radiator to her injury at an address in Cowdenbeath on September 8 last year. Defence solicitor Chris Sneddon said at the time: “He found it distressing listening to her evidence.

“He couldn’t remember what had happened but accepted her evidence. His position had been that it didn’t happen but he found her evidence compelling.”

Sheriff Craig McSherry imposed 200 hours of unpaid work.