GORDON SUTHERLAND

A COUNTY man has been told that he cannot have any contact for the next five years with a woman he domestically abused.Gordon Sutherland carried out a course of behaviour that was abusive of the woman by acting in a jealous and controlling manner, and checking her private phone messages.Sutherland also locked her inside his home and prevented her from leaving to attend a doctor's appointment.The 72-year-old shouted, swore and acted aggressively towards the woman while they were on holiday together in Gran Canaria and sent her threatening and abusive messages on social media.The abusive behaviour took place between March 15 and April 9.Sutherland, of Forth Court, Port Seton, pleaded guilty to the charges, prosecuted under section 1 of the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018, when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court earlier this year.He was sentenced by Sheriff Kenneth Campbell last Tuesday and was placed on a community payback order.The sheriff said that Sutherland would be supervised by the social work department for 15 months and he was ordered to complete 160 hours of unpaid work.He was also handed a five-year non-harassment order banning from approaching or contacting the woman.