A lieutenant colonel has been accused of being an “emotional bully” who threatened to kill a puppy, among a slew of controlling behaviours.
Simon Bloodworth appeared at Perth Sheriff Court on Tuesday where he denied making the threat in earshot of children.
The threat was among a list of allegations of coercive actions said to have been inflicted by 48-year-old Bloodworth on his wife Lisa, 51.
He pled not guilty to all of them.
48-year-old Bloodworth, who has served in Germany and Estonia, is accused of controlling Mrs Bloodworth, 51, engaging in a course of abusive behaviour towards his wife from Scotland and Germany between April 1 2019 and April 6 2020.
‘Checked on wife’s tidiness’
Prosecutors say he would send his parents – who lived next door to them in Invergordon – to check on the tidiness of their house while he was deployed abroad and provide him with photographic evidence.
He also denied allegations of controlling her finances and preventing Mrs Bloodworth, who had given up work as a practice nurse to become a stay-at-home mum following the birth of their first daughter in 2009, from returning to work.
It is further alleged he had knowledge of passwords for his wife’s electronic devices, social media, email and bank accounts.
Having been stationed in Germany, the family relocated to the Highlands in June 2019 when Bloodworth, of Heathfield Road in Invergordon, was posted at Fort George near Inverness.
Giving evidence at Tuesday’s trial, Mrs Bloodworth, who says she ultimately fled from the accused to Perthshire a few months later, described him as an “emotional bully.”
She said: “I’d been planning to leave for three months.
“Simon’s mood dictated the mood of the house. Me and the girls were very aware when we were around him to keep him in as good a mood as possible.
“Simon was quite cross when I bought the puppy.
“He was very short tempered with the dog, shouting and swearing.
“There was an incident where he threatened to kill the dog and bury it in the woods. The girls heard.”
Fled the family home
The court heard Mrs Bloodworth fled to family in Blairgowrie with her two daughters and stopped for the night at the Macdonald Highland Resort in Aviemore.
Bloodworth, who is currently on bail with a special condition not to contact or approach his wife, allegedly traced the party overnight and met them in the town, before going their separate ways.
However, he twice appeared at the home in East Perthshire, once being allowed in.
“I was scared” Mrs Bloodworth added. “We were walking on eggshells.
“It got to the point where it was much better to just accept it.”
The trial is to continue on April 12.
For the round-up of cases heard in Tayside and Fife’s courts, click here.
