Grangemouth offender grabbed partner by the neck to 'lift' her out of his home

David Gray’s “volatile” relationship with the woman came to a violent end when he physically removed her from his home – telling police he “lifted her up and put her out of the house”.

The woman sustained redness to her neck as a result of the violent encounter.

Gray, 35, appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday having admitted threatening behaviour and assaulting his partner – seizing her by the neck – at his 27 Lumley Court, Grangemouth home on July 14.

Steven Lynch, procurator fiscal depute, said: “It was 2am when the accused and the witness became involved in a verbal disagreement. The accused grabbed the witness to the neck and pushed her backwards out towards the communal hallway of the address.

"He then locked the door to the address, leaving her in the communal hallway. Shortly afterwards he opened the door and allowed her to collect her belongings from within.

"They continued to argue and the accused shouted at her to get out of his house. He repeatedly seized her by the body and pushed her and seized her by the neck. The witness then left the property and contacted police.

"Officers attended at the address, where the accused freely admitted he had been involved in an altercation, stating ‘I lifted her up and put her out the house’. Officers noted the witness had redness to her neck.”

The court heard Gray and the complainer had been involved in a “fairly volatile relationship” which was at an end. On the night in question he had asked her to leave and she refused to go.

Sheriff Alison Michie noted this was Gray’s third domestically aggravated offence and placed him on a supervised community payback order for two years with the condition he attend the Caledonian domestic abuse programme in that time.

She also ordered him to complete 180 hours of unpaid work within 12 months and made him subject to a non-harassment order not to contact his former partner for the next 12 months.