The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Man turned up at ex’ s home with baseball bat during abuse campaign
AFife man demanded his expartner send him photographs to prove her location and turned up at her home with a baseball bat, during a course of abuse lasting five years.
Gary Paton admitted engaging in a course of conduct which caused the woman fear and alarm which also included pulling the handbrake of a vehicle she was driving and opening the passenger door, causing her to make an emergency stop in moving traffic. The 35-yearold also shouted and swore and repeatedly punched a door and threatened to take his own life.
The incidents happened between January 1 2015 and April 1 2019 at various locations in the Dunfermline area.
Paton, of Dunfermline’s Wedderburn Street, also pled guilty to a charge of engaging in a course of behaviour which was abusive of his former partner, between April 1 2019 and January 18 2020.
Court papers state he pursued the woman, seized her by the body, threatened suicide and seized a phone from her and threw it against a wall.
He also repeatedly phoned and sent her text messages and attended at her address with a baseball bat and refused to leave when asked to do so and demanded her friends leave her address.
This offending was aggravated by reason of involving a child.
Paton appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court for sentencing, having previously pled guilty to the charges.
Sheriff Charles Macnair told him: “You engaged in a course of criminal conduct and abuse of your former partner for a period of about five years.
“That not only impacted on her but it also involved a child.
“There were multiple incidents and it is only after very considerable hesitation that I consider I am able to consider an alternative to custody but if you breach this order, then you can expect a custodial sentence.”
Sheriff Macnair sentenced Paton to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work and placed him under a supervision requirement for three years, during which time he must enter the Caledonian programme to address his domestic abuse offending.
Defence lawyer Stephen Morrison said a social work report indicated his client’s level of insight into his offending seemed “relatively good” and that he has already made changes, including no longer using steroids.
“If you breach this order, then you can expect a custodial sentence