An abusive boyfriend caged for a brutal attack on his partner has admitted making a threatening phone call to her from prison.
Aaron Nicol was sentenced to four-and-a-half years last September for what was described as a “nasty” domestic incident at a property in Brechin on June 12 2022.
He grabbed his girlfriend by the neck, threw her and spat on her.
He was ordered to stay away from his victim for three years.
The 31-year-old, from Brechin, has now appeared at Perth Sheriff Court to plead guilty to phoning her while on remand on August 26 2022 to make threats of violence.
He also admitted breaking his non-harassment order by repeatedly contacting her from the prison between September 15 2022 and January 16 2023.
Sheriff David Hall deferred sentence until next month.
Last week, Nicol appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court and admitted sneaking into his ex-partner’s home to stand at her bedside watching her sleep.
On other occasions, he stood outside her bedroom late at night and tapped on the window.
The court heard he had spent the equivalent of a 20 month sentence on remand.
Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown placed him on supervision for two years and imposed a five-year non-harassment order.
Sentencing criticised
The family of a Montrose woman killed by a dangerous driver has hit out at sentencing guidelines which saw more than a year cut from his prison sentence. Arran McPherson, 22, lost control of his car and struck and killed dog-walker 61-year-old Dolores Humphries – known as Saint Doe – on December 11 2021. He was jailed for for three years and 10 months, reduced from five years due to his age and guilty plea.
Janitor not guilty
A school janitor has been cleared of allegations he made racist remarks to cleaning staff at Perth Academy.
Tayside Contracts worker Ralph Anderson was charged with behaving in a threatening or abusive way and acting in a racially aggravated manner on two occasions in August last year.
The 58-year-old went on trial at Perth Sheriff Court this week but was found not guilty after only a few minutes of evidence.
Fiscal depute Erika Watson confirmed she was no longer seeking a conviction after cleaner Emila Palenska, 38, told the court she heard Mr Anderson swear but could not remember what he said.
The witness also denied she had made a recording of the conversation.
Sheriff David Hall told Mr Anderson, of Perth, he was not guilty and free to leave the court.
Prison drugs
A man who tried to murder a Dundee golfer in a horrifying chainsaw attack has had his prison sentence extended after he was caught with more than £1,000 of cocaine. Joe Henry Brown was caged for eight years in 2018 after he admitted attacking 61-year-old Arthur Innes at Caird Park. The drugs were found in his Perth prison cell on February 1.
‘Chelsea smile’ threat
A man pressed a knife against his partner’s face in Brechin and told her he would give her a “Chelsea smile”.
Andrew Ashcroft was previously convicted of engaging in a course of abusive behaviour towards one woman between January 2021 and May 2022, at locations including properties in Brechin and Dundee bus station.
He verbally abused her, dragged the woman by her hair sat on her chest, threatened to give her a “Chelsea smile” – an ear-to-ear slash – and pressed a knife against her mouth.
Ashcroft also stabbed the woman in the back of the leg.
After appearing at Dundee Sheriff Court on June 4 last year, he was released with strict bail conditions not to approach or contact his victim but breached this the same day.
Ashcroft, from North Lanarkshire, also admitted assaulting his ex-wife in Hamilton in the summer of 1999 by tying a kettle flex around her neck and attacking her in Blantyre in 2005 by punching her on the face.
The 44-year-old was brought from HMP Perth to Forfar Sheriff Court for sentencing and was jailed for 29 months.
Solicitor Advocate Andrew Murphy, for Ashcroft, said both relationships are over.
Sheriff Paul Brown added a supervised release order lasting a year and imposed five-year non-harassment orders to protect both victims.
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