ROYAL NAVY SUBMARINER SPAT IN WIFE’S FACE DURING MONTHS OF ABUSE IN FIFE
A former Royal Navy submarine engineer, Gary Booth, pleaded guilty to a series of abusive behaviors towards his wife during a period of ongoing mistreatment in Fife.His actions included spitting in her face, shouting, swearing, unauthorized access to her social media accounts, and threats to reveal private images of her to her employer.
Court records indicated these incidents happened between December 15, 2020, and June 15, 2021.
Booth, aged 37, who was previously based in Cairneyhill and now resides in Barrow-in-Furness, appeared before Dunfermline Sheriff Court for sentencing.
Prosecutors detailed an incident in March of the previous year, where Booth engaged in a verbal assault by insulting his wife’s appearance and calling her a disappointment to her family.
During that confrontation, he spat directly in her face, after which he returned to bed without acknowledging the incident, prompting her to leave the room.
His defense attorney, Stephen Morrison, acknowledged that Booth later admitted to having water in his mouth at the time of spitting, but also accepted it contained saliva.
The court also learned that following their separation, Booth discovered his wife’s casual relationship with a colleague via Facebook messages.
In June, he sent her messages indicating he was aware of her affair, including screenshots of their conversations—all of which he claimed to have obtained by logging into her Facebook account.
He subsequently called her a “slut” and made threats over the phone, leading to police involvement.
Booth has served approximately 13 years in the Navy as a submarine engineer.
His lawyer stated that the Navy is aware of the case, and any disciplinary proceedings would follow, indicating Booth would not be dismissed from service.
Morrison described his client’s behavior as unproud but mentioned that Booth believed his wife was unfaithful during their marriage.
The couple had been together for ten years, married for six, and Booth found their separation difficult.
He is now in a new relationship.
It was also confirmed Booth had no previous convictions, other than a traffic offence from nearly two decades prior.
The sheriff ordered Booth to complete 150 hours of unpaid work, placed him under supervision for a year, and issued a two-year non-harassment order preventing him from approaching his ex-wife.
The court noted that his conduct, which included repeatedly spitting at her, threatening to disclose intimate images and details, and accessing her social media without permission, was a serious breach under the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018.
The Royal Navy has been contacted for comment on the case.
