Police officer, 23, denies assaulting pregnant partner
A CLEVELAND Police officer has admitted being “moody, grumpy, awkward and hard work” but denies that he subjected his partner to a catalogue of assaults and controlling behaviour.
Thomas Gair, 23, says he never assaulted or mistreated his former partner, who he was in a relationship with for three years.
The woman, who previously gave evidence, told how Gair pushed her down the stairs of their home when she was pregnant because he did not want the baby she was carrying.
She claimed he beat and bit her and ran her down in his car, knocking her unconscious.
The woman, who also works in the police, said he controlled every aspect of her life during the three years they were together between 2019 and 2022, including what she ate, who she saw, what they watched on TV and when she was allowed to go out.
Gair, who denies controlling and coercive behaviour, five assaults and stalking, said she was free to do as she chose throughout their rela- tionship.
Giving evidence at Durham Crown Court, he said he was the subject of an ongoing medical referral into possible autism and said he could be socially awkward.
Gair, of Middlesbrough, told jurors: “I am quite quiet, shy and I rather enjoy my own company. I think I have always been like that and tend to avoid social interactions when I can.”
But he said he had never controlled [the alleged victim] and had never assaulted her as she claimed.
He told the court: “We argued quite a lot, we’d argue sometimes over small issues but I never threatened to hurt her and I did not ever assault [his ex].”
Gair was asked by his barrister Alex Menary: “Would you lay hands on her during an argument?”
He replied: “[His ex] would get quite frustrated and angry herself and would reach a point where she was having a panic attack. She would be stressed and emotional and I would try to calm her down by hugging her and giving her reassurance.”
He said he had told the woman that he wanted to commit suicide but it was never as a means of controlling her to do what he wanted.
He said: “It was down to the stress of the relationship and personal circumstances at the time.”
The alleged victim had claimed that Gair reversed into her deliberately after he’d picked her up from a night out, knocking her out cold when she was hit by the open door of their car.
Gair said it was an accident, telling the court: “Upon pulling up at the house [she] got out of the car and I thought she had gone and proceeded to reverse. I was attempting to straighten up the car on the narrow driveway. I thought [she] had shut the door. I went back and heard a thud. I put the brake on and got out of the car and saw [her] there. I helped her into the house.”
Her tumble downstairs was also an accident and not the result of a push, he claimed. Gair told the court: “I was in the bedroom and was planning on packing my bags to stay at my mam’s house, it was due to the stress of finding out [she] was pregnant, I was trying to take it all in. I went to go downstairs and I saw [her] coming up the stairs. I did not push her. “She got about half way towards me and tried to take a step back but her foot missed the stair and she fell. I immediately called an ambulance.”
His ex said he would mock her for being overweight and called her a “f***ing whale.”
He admitted sending her a message saying: “I wish I could keep it together as well as your belt does.” Gair said: “It was said in jest, I thought it was funny at the time but I don’t now.”
The stalking charge arises from a claim that he continued to monitor the woman’s movements by watching her on the CCTV at the home they had shared after their relationship had ended.
He said he had changed the password for the CCTV system because he’d had a warning that an unknown party had tried to log in and not to lock his ex out of it.
The trial continues
We argued quite a lot, we’d argue sometimes over small issues but I never threatened to hurt her and I did not
ever assault.