Thug is caged after attack on girlfriends

A Cleland man who assaulted two girlfriends has been jailed for 31 months after a sheriff branded his conduct “appalling”.

Hamilton Sheriff Court heard that Kenneth Dinnell, 33, of Omoa Road, turned violent after accusing the women of seeing other men.

He admitted assaulting one woman on various occasions at addresses in Chapelhall between January 2007 and September 2008.

Dinnell also admitted assaulting a second woman at an address in Renfrew, his home in Cleland and elsewhere on various occasions between December 2015 and October 2017. He further admitted sending the woman threatening and abusive messages.

Defence agent Nicky Matteo said Dinnell had been portrayed by the prosecution as “jealous and controlling”, but he claimed there were “two sides to the story”.

The solicitor produced what he described as “powerful” testimonials from family members and friends which showed a “very different character”.

Mr Matteo also told the court that police domestic abuse officers had contacted several other women with whom Dinnell had been in a relationship. None of them had any issues of concern.

He described the two relationships at the centre of the court case as “volatile” and pointed out that the second victim had continued to see Dinnell after he was charged in October last year.

Morag Mclintock, prosecuting, told Sheriff Daniel Kelly that the first victim wished the court to impose a non-harassment order to prevent her ex-partner from trying to contact her in the future.

However, the second woman did not wish such a measure to be put in place. Passing sentence, Sheriff Kelly pointed out that, while Dinnell had never previously been convicted of violence against women, he had convictions for serious assault and breach of the peace involving a knife.

The sheriff told him: “Both women were subjected to appalling behaviour.

“Given the severity of the charges and the length of time over which the offences occurred, custody is the only appropriate sentence.”

Dinnell was also handed a five-year non-harassment order in respect of the first woman.