A mother-of-five was “fortunate” to survive a vicious beating at the hands of her ex-partner.
Tommy Doyle was jailed for three years for “terrorising” Angela Newlands at her “safe house” in Crieff.
He tracked her down on Valentine’s Day last year, barged into her home and battered her senseless with a wooden pole.
The 31-year-old mum was later found by police lying in a pool of blood with her skull exposed through a huge gash on her head.
Perth Sheriff Court heard Miss Newlands, who was cleared of murdering Traveller Annalise Johnstone in 2019, had fled to Perthshire to escape the abusive relationship.
Addressing Doyle, 41, via video link, Sheriff Euan Duthie said: “This is a clearly abhorrent offence.
“You forced your way into Miss Newlands’ home, terrorised her and hit her with a wooden object.
“This resulted in her falling into unconsciousness and suffering a significant head injury.”
Sheriff Duthie told Doyle: “Her injuries included a three-inch laceration on her head, through which her skull was visible.
“It is only by good fortune that she survived the attack and you don’t find yourself in the high court.
“It goes without saying that only a custodial sentence is appropriate.”
Landscape gardener Doyle was sentenced to three years and will be placed on a 12-month supervised release order “to protect the public” after he is freed.
Solicitor David Holmes told the court Doyle had little recollection of the attack.
“He believes he was affected by alcohol and tablets he had been taking in the run-up to this incident.
Smashed through her front door
Miss Newlands had ended the relationship with Doyle in October 2020 and moved into a refuge, before moving to a property in Crieff’s Duchlage Road.
She did not think Doyle knew where she had gone, fiscal depute Matthew Kerr told the court.
Miss Newlands was home alone, watching TV, when she heard a knock at the front door.
Mr Kerr said: “Miss Newlands panicked and pushed a washing machine against the locked front door.
“Miss Newlands heard the glass panel smash and the accused’s face appeared at the broken window.
“He reached through, turned the key and opened the door.
Doyle told her: “I can’t believe you had a baby with another man,” and pushed the machine out of his way.
“Miss Newlands believed she saw the accused with a wooden object before she was struck.
“She remembered the accused standing above her.”
He said her next recollection was being found upstairs by police.
Victim found in ‘foetal’ position
At about 7.30pm, a nearby resident contacted police after hearing a bang and a woman screaming.
Officers arrived at the address and went upstairs.
“They saw Miss Newlands lying on the bed upstairs in a foetal position,” said Mr Kerr.
“She appeared to have a significant head injury.”
Officers began to administer first aid to the wound.
“Miss Newlands was drifting in and out of consciousness and feeling drowsy,” Mr Kerr said.
An ambulance was called and Doyle, who was found by officers downstairs, was arrested.
He shouted “Scottish b******s” at officers as he was led away.
Miss Newlands suffered a deep cut to right hand side of head, which penetrated her skull.
She was also left with several cuts and a broken arm.
At hospital, she received four stitches to her head and three to her hand.
Doyle pled guilty to striking his ex on the head and body with a wooden pole, rendering her unconscious and kicking her on the body to her severe injury.
The 41-year-old, listed as a prisoner at Perth, further admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner and uttering a racist remark to police.
Mr Holmes said his client claimed that, despite what prosecutors said, he had been in contact with Miss Newlands before the attack.
“His position is that there was alcohol and drugs being taken on both sides,” he said.
“He very much regrets his actions and knows that prison is the only destination.”
Cleared at murder trial
The assault took place almost two years after a judge in a high-profile murder trial ruled there was not enough evidence to convict Miss Newlands of killing Miss Johnstone, 22, at a witch’s monument in nearby Dunning.
After days of evidence at Livingston High Court, she was found not guilty.
Ms Johnstone was discovered lying face-down in grass, behind a drystone dyke on a remote countryside spot near Dunning in May, 2018.
The 22-year-old had been brutally attacked and murdered about two miles down the road, at a stone cross commemorating local witch Maggie Wall.
Her death sparked a massive cross-country police investigation.
On the three-year anniversary of the killing, we reported how her father Gordon Johnstone believes her murderer will never be brought to justice.
The last days of Perthshire witch monument murder victim Annalise Johnstone
