Falkirk sheriff tells domestic offender he needs to be 'trained' how to behave in a relationship

Jordan Middleton, 26, was told he needed some kind of “intervention” to help “train” him “how to behave in a relationship” after his disgraceful behaviour.

Appearing at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday MIddleton had pleaded guilty to assaulting his partner and threatening behaviour at an address in Muirend

Court, Bo’ness on September 21, 2021 and assaulting a woman – biting her – and threatening behaviour at his 9 Kilmory Court, Tamfourhill, on October 28, 2021.

Procurator fiscal depute Amy Sneddon said: “An argument started between the accused and the complainer and he grabbed her by the wrist and pushed her against the car. She broke free from him and told him to leave.

"He said he wanted to get his things before doing so. The complainer made her way into the address and the accused followed her in. At that point he was directly behind her and began striking his knee into her back and caused her to fall at the bottom of the stairs.

"At this point the accused ran out of the front door of the house. “

On a later occasion Middleton was heavily intoxicated.

"The accused had been sick and the complainer was attempting to assist him when he became aggressive towards her. She tried to get him a glass of water and he began shouting and swearing at her before throwing a pouch of tobacco at her and then aggressively walking towards her.

"She tried to push him away but he seized her hand and bit her on her wrist, which caused breaking and some bruising to the skin.

"He then climbed down the balcony of the flat and attended at the car park, appearing next to her vehicle. She saw him let the air out of her tyres and she contacted police.

"Officers found the accused outside the address and he was shouting at them he wanted to get back into the address. He shouted at them ‘youse are scum’ and then began kicking and spitting within the cage of he police vehicle.”

The court heard the relationship between Middleton and his partner had been a “volatile” one, but it was now over. He was said to now be in a new relationship.

Sheriff William Gilchrist said: “You don’t have an extensive record, but it does include a previous domestically aggravated incident with another partner. Now I’m told you are in another relationship.

"You need some sort of intervention to train you how to behave in a relationship.”

He placed Middleton on a supervised community payback order for two years with the condition he attend the Caledonian domestic abuse programme in that time. He

was also made subject to a non-harassment order not to contact his former partner for two years.