2 weeks Ago By Joanne Warnock
A man has been found guilty of trying to throw a woman off the balcony of an Aberdeen flat. Paul Reid, 41, also assaulted the woman at several addresses across the north-east, including by trying to throttle her and pushing her down a set of stairs. Reid attempted to push the woman off a third-floor balcony and threatened to kill her, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
He was found guilty of pursuing the woman through a property as she tried to escape him, seizing her by the neck and throttling her to the point where she lost consciousness. Charges were dropped which alleged Reid abducted two children, locked them in a bedroom and left them on a balcony outside. Reid was also found guilty of breaching the peace by dangling his partner’s cat out a window and throwing it from a third floor to the ground, resulting in its hind legs becoming injured.
Reid also headbutted the woman, causing her to strike her head against a door, and grabbed her by the neck before repeatedly punching her to the head and body. He was found guilty of causing severe injury, permanent disfigurement and danger to her life. Following a three-day trial, the jury of 10 women and five men took just one hour to find Reid guilty by majority on both charges, said to haven taken place between 2008 and December 13 2010.
Depute fiscal Jane Sparks urged the jury to convict and said the witnesses had “no cause to lie” and were not “trying to get retribution”. Re-living violent events The victim, a former partner of Reid, and her now adult daughter gave evidence during the trial. Ms Sparks said the women spoke of aggression towards their cat Shadow and told of “escalating violence” in the household.
“They had to relive those events,” Ms Sparks continued, talking about the daughter of the victim. “They were not looking for retribution, this was the environment she was brought up in. “She was clear.
She spoke of her friend coming over for a sleepover and her friend feeling scared in the household, so they went and stayed at a grandparent’s house. “The woman remembers being knocked unconscious and still has a scar above her eye where she received stitches. Repeated violence three or four times a week “She was open about being a drug user at the time with a daily habit of heroin and alcohol.
“At times she may have been slightly confused, but that does not mean it did not happen. “Her daughter spoke of repeated violence three or four times a week – and she would try and intervene when Reid assaulted her mother. “[Reid] seized her throat and rendered her unconscious.
Accept their evidence as being credible and reliable and convict Reid to the charge libelled.” Reid’s defence agent Chris Maitland said the women had not “remembered correctly” and the daughter had “put a spin” on her upbringing, adding there were “glaring inconsistencies” between the two witnesses. Sentence deferred Sheriff Andrew Miller said Reid’s previous convictions were “crimes of violence and disorder” and that he was now convicted of an assault to danger of life, adding: “In particular this is an unpleasant example of a breach of the peace during that same period.
“I take into account that you have only ever served a brief period of imprisonment in 2017 for a different type of aggravation to this charge. “A full range of sentencing options are possible.” Sheriff Miller allowed Reid to leave the court on bail and deferred sentencing for background reports and a Restriction of Liberty Order Assessment to December 13.
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