A St Andrews University student chased a flatmate with a knife and held it to her throat, as well as pouring vodka in her eyes and shutting her in a room where he started a fire.
Geography student Ewan Harvey wept and held his head in his hands as he was found guilty of a series of bizarre and dangerous offences in his student flat.
Harvey – who has worked for Red Bull and Audi as a commercial photographer – claimed he had been the victim of a conspiracy by some of his flatmates.
But Sheriff Eric Brown said his evidence was “unconvincing and self-serving” and found him guilty.
Harvey claimed he had a close relationship with his victim but denied they were lovers and said he had a long-term girlfriend.
He denied causing her injury but Dundee Sheriff Court was told he left her legs covered in bruises and his behaviour forced the flatmates to throw him out of their rented accommodation.
Held knife to throat
Harvey left his friends and flatmates shocked when he chased the woman around a table while he was carrying the knife on October 3 2020.
Management student Sebastian Flame told the trial he thought Harvey, 25, was “unhinged” during the incident.
Mr Flame said he initially felt Harvey had been showing off in front of his fellow students but they became concerned when he produced the knife and refused to put it down.
He said: “(She) was sitting on his lap.
“She was saying the same as myself, that he should stop, and she was asking him to hand the knife over to her. He did not.
“Ewan started chasing her round the table with the knife.
“Ewan was a bit crazy – it was probably part of the act he was trying to portray.
“It was very crazy and alarming.”
Mr Flame said the woman was “worried” but was trying to defuse the situation as Harvey chased her round the table “perhaps four times”.
“He then put the knife to her throat.
“It was about one centimetre away.
“It was not touching her but it was very close.
“It lasted five to ten seconds.
“I think he then put the knife on the table because at that point everyone was shouting at him to put the knife down.
“He was unhinged.
“That incident felt a lot more full-on than being a joke.
“We were shocked. It was worrying because it was a dangerous situation for everyone.”
He said the woman was “shaken up but she didn’t think Ewan would hurt her.”
Bruised legs
Mr Flame said she showed him bruises on her legs two months later.
“They were everywhere on her legs, and big,” he said.
He said a deputation of flatmates confronted Harvey and told him he had to leave the property as soon as possible because they were concerned for his victim’s safety.
“He said that he would never hurt her, that he loved her and that he was very sorry.
“He also said he didn’t do the bruises and that they were accidents.
“We were worried for (the woman).
“We were concerned to have an individual who would do that living in the house.”
Guilty of assaults
Harvey left the property five days later but when he returned after the Christmas break, the incidents were reported to police.
Harvey, of Laurencekirk, had denied carrying out a series of offences in the Fife university town between September 10 and November 28 2020.
He was found guilty of acting in a threatening or abusive manner on October 3, culpably and recklessly setting fire to an empty chocolate bag until the fire took hold on November 10 and a November 28 assault in North Street, when he pushed the woman into a wall and poured vodka into her eyes.
On the same date, he assaulted her by throwing a glass bowl at her, placing her in a chokehold and punching and kicking her to her injury.
He was acquitted of a further charge of assaulting the woman by knocking her over and dragging her downstairs by her ankles and an allegation he assaulted a man was dropped by the Crown.
Fiscal depute Larissa Milligan asked the court to consider non-harassment orders and sentence was deferred for the preparation of background reports.
Harvey remains on bail.
For more local court content visit our dedicated page or join us on Facebook.
