A woman cleared of involvement in a grisly unsolved murder was brutally assaulted in her Perthshire home.
Terrified Angela Newlands tried to stop ex-partner Tommy Doyle from getting inside by pushing a washing machine against her front door.
However, Doyle, armed with a wooden pole, smashed through the door and pushed the machine aside.
New mum Ms Newlands was later found by police officers lying curled up on her bed with a severe head wound, broken arm and covered in cuts.
The 31-year-old, who was cleared of murdering young Traveller Annalise Johnstone in 2019, was rushed to hospital while Doyle was led away in handcuffs.
Doyle appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted assaulting Ms Newlands at her then-home in Duchlage Road, Crieff, on Valentines Day this year.
Sheriff Euan Duthie told him: “Plainly, you can expect to receive a lengthy period of imprisonment.”
Victim had fled back to Perthshire
The court heard Doyle and Ms Newlands had been together for about a year, before separating in October 2020.
Fiscal depute Matthew Kerr said Ms Newlands had terminated the relationship and had “fled back to Perthshire”.
Ms Newlands did not think Doyle knew where she had gone, Mr Kerr told the court.
“On the evening in question, Ms Newlands was at home alone, watching television in the downstairs living room.
“There was a knock at the door.
“Ms Newlands could see a person behind the frosted panel on the door, but she could not make out who it was.”
She recognised Doyle’s voice when he shouted: “Please, I need to get home to Newcastle.”
Mr Kerr said: “She panicked and pushed the washing machine against the locked front door.
“Ms Newlands heard the glass panel smash and the accused’s face appeared at the broken window.
“He reached through, turned the key and opened the door.
“He pushed the washing machine back, allowing him to enter.”
Mr Kerr said: “Ms Newlands was scared and backed away.
“She told him: ‘What do you want? I’ll give you money.’
“She got cash out of a kitchen drawer and put it on top of the washing machine.”
Doyle told her: “I can’t believe you had a baby with another man,” and pushed the machine out of his way.
“Ms Newlands believed she saw the accused with a wooden object before she was struck.
“She remembered the accused standing above her.”
He said her next recollection was being found upstairs by police.
Witness heard screaming
At about 7.30pm, a nearby resident contacted police after hearing a bang and a woman screaming.
Officers arrived at the address and saw the shattered glass panel.
“They pushed the washing machine out of the way,” Mr Kerr said.
“They observed clothes strewn across the floor.
“Police officers saw Ms Newlands lying on the bed upstairs in a foetal position.
“She appeared to have a significant head injury.”
Officers began to administer first aid to the wound, which was described as a three inch laceration.
“Ms Newlands was drifting in and out of consciousness and feeling drowsy,” Mr Kerr said.
An ambulance was called and Doyle, who was found by officers downstairs, was arrested.
He shouted “Scottish b******s” at officers as he was led away.
Skull was penetrated
Ms Newlands suffered a deep cut to right hand side of head, which penetrated her skull.
She was also left with several cuts and a broken arm.
At hospital, she received four stitches to her head and three to her hand.
Doyle pleaded guilty to striking his ex on the head and body with a wooden pole, rendering her unconscious and kicking her on the body to her severe injury.
The 41-year-old, listed as a prisoner at Perth, further admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner and uttering a racist remark to police.
Sentence was deferred until December 23.
Murder trial
Ms Newlands went on trial, accused of killing Annalise Johnstone, in 2019.
After days of evidence at Livingston High Court, she was found not guilty.
Ms Johnstone was discovered lying face-down in grass, behind a drystone dyke on a remote countryside spot near Dunning in May, 2018.
The 22-year-old had been brutally attacked and murdered about two miles down the road, at a stone cross commemorating local witch Maggie Wall.
Her death sparked a massive cross-country police investigation.
On the three year anniversary of the killing, we reported how her father Gordon Johnstone believes her murdered will never be brought to justice.
The last days of Perthshire witch monument murder victim Annalise Johnstone
