A Perthshire hotel boss has walked free from court after being cleared of allegations of domestic abuse.
Stewart McTaggart went on trial accused of engaging in a course of abusive conduct against his then partner Louis Finch.
The couple took over the reigns of the Alyth Hotel in September 2020, just months after they met.
In May this year, Mr McTaggart announced the Commercial Street venue would close due to his poor health.
The 35-year-old appeared at Perth Sheriff Court on Tuesday accused of a 20-month campaign of abuse at the hotel, between May 2020 and January 2022.
It was alleged he repeatedly shouted, swore and made abusive remarks towards Mr Finch.
He was further accused of throwing a jar of mustard at his then-partner, striking him on the body.
Prosecutors also alleged that during an argument Mr McTaggart pushed Mr Finch to the ground and seized him by the neck.
It was also alleged that Mr McTaggart kept sole control of the joint finances.
Mr McTaggart, whose address was listed on court papers as the Alyth Hotel, denied all charges.
After a day-long trial, Sheriff David Hall ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish a course of conduct.
He found the charge not proven.
‘Silent treatment’ claim
Mr Finch, 33, gave his evidence behind a screen.
He said he met Mr McTaggart on dating app Grindr during Covid lockdown.
The pair met up when restrictions eased and talk soon turned to taking on Mr McTaggart’s local hotel.
“I went up and saw the hotel,” Mr Finch told the trial. “I allowed myself to get carried away with it all.”
Asked by defence solicitor Gino Gambale if he was forced into the situation, Mr Finch said: “No, it was a 50/50 agreement.”
Mr Finch claimed his partner lost his temper with a friend who was helping move furniture into the hotel, around September 2020.
“That’s when I realised I may have made a mistake,” he said.
Mr Finch told the trial that Mr McTaggart gave him “the silent treatment for three weeks”.
He said: “Every time he looked at me, he would look at me with distain.”
The former children’s care home worker claimed that Mr McTaggart threw a jar of mustard at him and on another occasion grabbed him by the throat during an argument.
He said he felt “isolated and trapped” and described how things came to a head after an argument involving Mr McTaggart’s family.
Sudden closure
Mr McTaggart did not give evidence during the trial.
In May, he announced he would be searching for a new tenant for the hotel.
“I’m going to miss you all,” he said.
“Unfortunately due to poor health, I’ve made the hard decision to close the doors of the hotel and look after myself.”
In December 2020, the then couple made headlines when they forced the HMRC into a U-turn on furlough payments, following claims staff could miss out on wages.
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