An ex-soldier with a history of domestic violence snatched his girlfriend’s phone out of her hand when she tried to call police on him during a Perthshire camping trip.
Neil Stephen’s family holiday to Tummel Valley turned sour when an argument over an “extremely trivial” matter descended into a “deplorable” drunken outburst.
It happened just weeks before the 44-year-old former squaddie crept into the same woman’s home and assaulted her.
She was heard screaming as she fled her Inverbervie property in the middle of the night.
Stephen was ordered to take part in a domestic abuse programme when he admitted the offence at Aberdeen Sheriff Court in January 2022.
Stephen, who has toured Afghanistan, returned to the dock at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, likely to cause fear or alarm, at Tummel Valley Holiday Park on November 3 2021.
It is his sixth domestically aggravated offence.
Prosecutors accepted his not guilty plea to an allegation that he assaulted his then-partner at the Pitlochry resort.
Concerned camper came knocking
Fiscal depute Elizabeth Hodgson said the couple had been in a relationship for several years.
“They had separated, but were back together at the time of the incident,” she said.
“By about 3pm on the day of the offence, the accused was at the holiday park, drinking heavily.
“The family returned to their lodgings at about 10.30pm, after enjoying some on-site entertainment.
“The complainer said the couple then began arguing over a trivial matter.
“The accused shouted angrily towards her.
“She asked him to stop and threatened to call police.
“At this point, the accused snatched the complainer’s mobile phone and refused to hand it back.”
The prosecutor said: “Another holiday-maker was in a caravan, just metres away, when she heard a male voice shouting angrily.
“The noise of the disturbance concerned her and she went to the accused’s caravan.
“He answered the door as he continued to shout at the complainer.”
Stephen yelled derogatory comments, calling his partner a “fat slag,” before telling her he was leaving.
The partner called police and Stephen was arrested later that night.
Ms Hodgson said the complainer was “fearful” of Stephen and wanted a non-harassment order in place for “as long as possible”.
‘Deplorable’ actions
The court heard that the couple separated following the incident.
Solicitor Linda Clark, defending, said: “They had been arguing about something extremely trivial and things just escalated.
“This seems to be the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
She said her client was now rarely in the UK and worked in places like Saudi Arabia and New Guinea.
Sheriff Alison McKay told Stephen: “This was a lady who was trying to call police and you wouldn’t let her.
“That is a serious matter.”
She added: “Your behaviour was deplorable and you have domestic abuse convictions that I have to take into account.”
Stephen, of Kincorth Crescent, Aberdeen, was fined £1,750 and ordered to comply with a two-year non-harassment order.
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