Taynuilt farmer guilty of assault on ex-partner

A TAYNUILT farmer has been found guilty under provocation of an assault on his ex-partner.

Jonathan Mackenzie, 22, of 2 Brenva Cottages, Taynuilt, denied assaulting his former parter at an Oban address on May 1 to her injury.

The woman told Oban Sheriff Court on August 2 an argument developed after she had called Mackenzie ‘probably about five times’ that day, and it escalated when he and his brother came into her kitchen.

She told the court: ‘[Jonathan] kept getting closer and closer. I felt like he was intimidating me. I was shouting, “Please get out! Leave me alone!” I was scared.

‘All I felt was him grabbing my arms. He put his hand over my mouth and nose and would not let go. I felt like I could not breath. He was holding both my arms with one of his hands. I am just under five foot. I felt like my feet were coming off the floor. I could not get him off me.

[His brother] said, “****’s sake, Jonny” and pulled him back.

‘I had bruising up my arms and on my wrist.’

Defence agent Edward Thornton produced Mackenzie’s mobile phone records.

‘There were a total of 93 phone calls. That would suggest you were out of control,’ he said.

She replied: ‘ He hurt me. He hurt me for so long. We were both as horrible to each other. I was angry and upset.’

Mackenzie’s brother also gave evidence.

He said: ‘There was a wee kind of fight. She hit him first. It was a punch. Jonny grabbed her face, then grabbed her arms to restrain her.’

He denied pulling Mackenzie off.

Mackenzie said: ‘She turned after she hit me, she grabbed the object from the kitchen counter and swung towards me, so I grabbed her wrists. At the time I did not know it was a phone.’

District procurator fiscal Laura Mundell said: ‘You are using this as an excuse for your assault.’

‘No,’ Mackenzie replied. ‘This is not correct.’

Mrs Mundell asked: ‘In his own words, Christopher said, “Jonny grabbed her face.” Who is telling lies here?’

Mackenzie said: ‘I did not grab her by the face. I grabbed her wrists.’

Sheriff Patrick Hughes passed a verdict of guilty with provocation.’

He deferred sentence until August 30 for reports.