Fife man jailed after six-year campaign of abuse against two women.

46-year-old left one victim with a permanent scar from mug assault

A Fife man has been jailed for violent attacks on two women over the course of almost six years.

Colin Lister’s campaign of abuse was described as “vicious” by a judge as he was handed a 54-month sentence at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.

The 46-year-old, of Aberdour Crescent, Dunfermline, left one of the women with a permanent scar, which required plastic surgery after he struck her with a mug so hard that it broke.

He was convicted of five charges after a trial during which Sheriff Alastair Thornton said “harrowing” evidence was given of Lister’s conduct at addresses in Dunfermline, Glenrothes and Kirkcaldy.

Lister was said to maintain his innocence of the offences, claiming that he was a victim of abuse at the hands of the women.

But Sheriff Thornton said Lister, who had previous convictions for domestic abuse, must be imprisoned to protect the public and deter such “pernicious and violent domestic abuse”.

He said: “The severity of your offending here, combined with the previous domestic convictions, is such that in my view the foregoing purposes of sentencing outweigh the benefits of rehabilitation in allowing you to make amends through a non-custodial sentence.

“The only appropriate sentence for me to impose in your case is a custodial sentence of substantial length.”

Lister was convicted of assaulting one of the women to her injury on various occasions over 11 months between August 2005 and June 2006. On one occasion he struck her on the hand with a knife.

The second woman was assaulted repeatedly to her severe injury and permanent disfigurement over five years from January 2008 to December 2012.

As well as the attack with the mug, Lister stamped on her body.

He behaved in a disorderly manner to both of the women, causing them fear and alarm, and in a threatening and abusive manner towards one of them.

A non-harassment order was also granted in respect of one of the women.

“The only appropriate sentence for me to impose in your case is a custodial sentence of substantial length. SHERIFF ALASTAIR THORNTON