Thug forced woman underwater then told her it was ‘not big deal’

A man assaulted his partner by pushing her head under the water as she took a bath, then told her it was “not a big deal”.

Jonathan MacPherson placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her under. When he allowed her to surface he told her: “It’s not a big deal because I let you go.”

The incident in 2014 was one of four assault charges admitted by MacPherson, 38, at Inverness Sheriff Court.

He also admitted threatening or abusive behaviour. All the offences occurred at addresses in Inverness.

Fiscal depute Susan Love said that in 2018 MacPherson had followed the woman into the bathroom and pushed her backwards into a bathtub. He punched the back of her head, saying she was “long overdue it”.

Later that year the woman had asked MacPherson to leave her home and turned away from him, at which point he had kicked her leg.

The following year, when the woman accidentally called him by the wrong name, MacPherson grabbed her by her arm and then pulled her dressing gown over her face, causing her to call 999 and tell police he was attacking her.

“He continued to shout and swear before he left the property through the back garden,” Ms Love said.

The woman went upstairs but as she came back down she found MacPherson back in the property, commenting he was going to “stab one of her friends”.

MacPherson’s solicitor Willie Young for told the court his client had been in a “chaotic and turbulent relationship” with the woman for around 10 years.

He said the offences all took place “against a background of alcohol and drug abuse”.

“He accepts responsibility for his role in these offences and these are matters which he is not proud of,” Mr Young added.

Sheriff Margaret Neilson placed MacPherson, of Huntly Court, Inverness on a structured deferred sentence for three months and continued his bail.

The case will call again on February 22.