DUNFERMLINE MAN WITH A HISTORY OF DOMESTIC ABUSE AVOIDS JAIL
A DUNFERMLINE man who subjected two partners to repeated violent domestic abuse has avoided a jail sentence.Andrew Lauder was previously found guilty of sickening abuse by a jury after a trial and returned to Dunfermline Sheriff Court for sentencing.
Lauder, 28, of Law Road, was convicted of a string of charges against the first woman between 2007 and 2014 then against the second victim in 2015.
Between June 1, 2007, and November 4, 2011, at an address in Rosyth and two addresses in Dunfermline and elsewhere, he assaulted his then partner, by pushing her on the body, causing her to fall against a drum kit and striking her back.
He threw household objects at her, grabbed her by the neck with both hands and compressed it while pushing her against a kitchen counter, causing her to struggle to breathe, held a kitchen knife to her, threatened to kill her and repeatedly punched her on the body all to her injury.
On various occasions between November 1, 2011, and August 31, 2014, at addresses in Dunfermline and elsewhere, he assaulted the woman by repeatedly slapping and punching her on the face and head and repeatedly punching her on the body.
He held a kitchen knife to her throat, repeatedly threw water over her when she was sleeping, brandished a fork at her, grabbed a mobile phone from her hand, repeatedly threw household objects and pushed her on the body causing her to strike a wooden door, all to her injury.
On various occasions between October 6, 2010, and August 31, 2014, at addresses in Dunfermline, he behaved in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting, swearing, uttering offensive remarks towards the woman.
He uttered threats of violence towards her, threw down a Christmas tree and jumped on it, breaking glass decorations, and repeatedly threatened to burn down the house.
He also repeatedly damaged and broke mobile phones owned by her so she could not contact the police and threatened to stab her pet cat with a kitchen fork.
Lauder then behaved similarly towards his new partner.
On various occasions between March 1 and August 15, 2015, at an address in Dunfermline and elsewhere he behaved in a threatening and abusive manner by shouting, swearing and repeatedly uttering offensive remarks towards the woman.
The jury found him guilty of another two charges but decided in these cases he had been acting under provocation.
On April 6, 2015, at an address in Dunfermline, he assaulted his then partner by pushing her on the body, causing her to fall to the ground, and grabbing her by the body in an attempt to prevent her leaving the house.
On August 15, 2015, at an address in Dunfermline, he assaulted the woman by placing his arm around her throat and compressing it whereby her breathing was restricted and pushed her on the body, causing her to strike her head on a wall, all to her injury.
Defence solicitor Sarah Meehan said her client was still denying he committed any of the offences.
Sheriff Craig McSherry imposed a community payback order with 300 hours of unpaid work and a six-month restriction of liberty order.
Lauder will also attend a domestic abuse programme.
