MAN THROTTLED WOMAN IN FRONT OF CHILD
A man convicted of extended domestic abuse, including throttling his ex-partner while a child pleaded for her life, has been sentenced to prison.Scott Findlay told a frightened child that the abuse was deserved before pursuing the woman into her garden in Aberdeen and repeatedly kicking her while she was on the ground.
Findlay, aged 32, who was returned to prison after an earlier early release, appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court for sentencing related to his recent offenses.
He admitted to abusing his ex-partner over a period of five months last year and expressed feelings of “disgust” regarding his actions.
The court learned that Findlay had yelled at his ex, threatening to “go to jail for her” and even tried to bite her ear, all witnessed by a child pleading for him to stop.
He also pressed her face onto the bed for an unspecified amount of time, during which he was described as snarling in her ear and talking about taking responsibility for assault.
During one incident, she recorded a video on her phone showing Findlay insulting her with derogatory language.
On another occasion, he grabbed her and pushed her through her home, shoving her into the fireplace, which caused injuries on her back.
He also spat into her hair, as indicated in Crown reports.
Findlay also throttled the woman, with a child pleading “please don’t kill her”, to which he responded that she deserved it, then chased her outside and kicked her as she lay hurt.
Further court proceedings disclosed that Findlay pulled her around the garden by her arms through dog feces before leaving the scene.
He was found guilty of stamping on her leg and dropping a chair on her, stating “that’s what you get”.
Additional crimes included stealing her car and fleeing police by driving over a pavement to avoid a spike strip.
He also admitted to driving without a license or insurance on December 31, 2024, and was placed in custody again in February 2025.
Defence solicitor Sian Grant stated that Findlay was “disgusted” with himself and linked his behaviour to substance misuse.
Having served a previous prison sentence for another matter and being released early, Findlay was sent back to prison prior to the hearing.
Sheriff Iain Wallace highlighted Findlay’s lengthy criminal record and, noting that his previous driving ban was due to expire in 2027, imposed a new ban for seven years and 187 days.
The sheriff emphasized the severity of the crimes, remarking on the seriousness of Findlay’s offending history.
Following the conclusion of his current sentence, Findlay was ordered to serve an additional 187 days in custody.
A non-harassment order was issued, forbidding him from contacting his ex-partner for ten years, and upon release, he will be supervised for 30 months as part of the Caledonian Program for domestic abusers.
