A man has been jailed after tasering his partner because he thought she was 'too long in bed' one Sunday morning.
37-year-old Kenneth Donald attacked his girlfriend of seven years on February 19, 2023 with the electronic stun gun as she lay in bed the morning after she had a few drinks with him at his home in Raploch, Stirling, Scotland.
Stirling Sheriff Court heard that at some point in the morning, the enraged boyfriend - who was already up - insisted that his girlfriend should get up.
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“Come on, get up,” Donald said.
The woman, who was not named, replied: “Five minutes, I’m rough.”
Donald didn’t like this though and threatened: “Get up or I’ll taser ye.”
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“A short time later, as [the woman] was falling back asleep, the accused took a taser device and activated it against her leg, causing her severe pain and thereafter reddening to her right thigh,” Prosecutor Laurelle Johnstone said.
The woman reported the tasing incident to police the following month.
An 11-year-old girl witnessed the incident, the court heard, she filmed what Donald had done on her mobile phone and the brief resulting video was played in court.
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The video showed Donald ‘clicking’ the taser against his girlfriend and laughing.
Donald was arrested in his car in Bannockburn, Stirling, on 30 March after police viewed the video and obtained a warrant to search his home.
The police recovered a taser, a pack of taser cartridges, a taser charging plug and cables, as well as a knife in a black cover were recovered from the rear of the car.
Donald appeared for sentencing on Wednesday (30 August) via videolink from Low Moss Prison, after pleading guilty last month to possessing the taser, assaulting his girlfriend and causing her injury and possessing the knife.
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Defence solicitor Fraser McCready said: “I’ve asked him why he bought the taser. He can’t really provide an explanation.
"He certainly bought it online and used it as a joke. But a joke is not a defence to a charge of assault.”
He has been given a 22-month jail term.
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Sheriff Keith O’Mahony said Donald had a record which includes domestically-aggravated situations.
“These offences are possession of a taser, assault with that taser to injury, and possession of a knife,” he said.
“In my view there is no alternative to a custodial disposal.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence 24 hours a day to the national domestic violence helpline Refuge on 0808 2000 247
Topics: Crime, Sex and Relationships
Gregory Robinson