Boss of fashion retailer jailed over ‘disgraceful’ abuse of ex-girlfriend

The boss of a high-end fashion shop has been jailed after he subjected his girlfriend to a series of violent assaults and emotional abuse.

Ryan Steehouder – who owned the Aberdeen clothes store 1 Off – physically and mentally abused the woman for more than a year and repeatedly breached court orders to stay away from her.

The 32-year-old admitted a catalogue of charges against his ex-girlfriend, including slamming her head against a car window and posting on social media that he was outside her home with a knife.

Steehouder – who worked in the oil and gas sector for 10 years before opening the shop in the Galleria – also threatened to put the woman “through her living room window”.

Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard he also put up a number of chilling Instagram posts telling the woman and his friend they would “answer for what they have done”.

Fiscal depute Ruaridh McAlister told the court how the businessman was extremely jealous and controlling towards his former partner and would drink to excess.

He said that on one occasion, while driving home, “the accused started to scream at her and accused her of flirting with other males”.

“The accused ... had one hand on the steering wheel and grabbed the complainer’s neck with the other hand and repeatedly slammed her head against the passenger window.”

Steehouder stopped the car on Holburn Street, got out and punched the front windscreen, causing it to shatter. The woman was left with bruising on the left side of her face and neck.

Steehouder also grabbed the woman, forced her against a door and told her “not to scream”.

He repeatedly called, messaged and turned up at her work and home. On one occasion the woman found Steehouder in her back garden.

Steehouder pled guilty to 11 charges, including behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, driving while under the influence of alcohol and breaching bail conditions not to approach his ex-girlfriend.

He also admitted two further charges of assault against two other women who were talking to his former partner in The Office nightclub in Aberdeen.

Defence agent David Sutherland described his client’s offences as “absolutely disgraceful”.

Sheriff Morag McLaughlin told Steehouder: “Given that this took place over a long period of time and that it involved emotional abuse and physical violence I feel there is no other option in order to show the court’s displeasure of these offences than by imposing a prison sentence.”

Sheriff McLaughlin sentenced Steehouder, whose address was given as HMP Grampian, to 15 months in prison.

She also put a nonharassment order in place banning him from approaching his former partner for four years and disqualified him from driving for three years.

Ryan Steehouder pled guilty to 11 charges.