Hamilton woman held boyfriend in her home after assaulting him

Jan 28 2010

A STRATHAVEN woman clobbered her boyfriend over the head with an ashtray as he tried to escape through a window after she’d locked him in her home.

Jean Craig carried out the attack on Terence Rowan at her home in Fernlea Road on October 3 last year.

Fifty-four-year-old Craig’s relationship with Rowan, which had been on-and-off for 19 years, had always been tempestuous, Hamilton Sheriff Court was told this week.

Craig had denied a charge of abducting and assaulting Mr Rowan, however, she pleaded guilty to two charges on a separate complaint of breaching bail conditions by phoning him.

Giving evidence, Mr Rowan said he had been out buying shopping on the afternoon of October 3.

When he got back to Craig’s house she was “moaning” because he had been away for two hours, he said.

He said Craig took a grill tray and threw it across the kitchen.

Questioned by fiscal depute John Gildea, Mr Rowan said he tried to leave the house, but the doors were locked and Craig had the keys.

He tried to climb out the front living-room window, but as he did so Craig struck him on the top of the head with either a vase or an ashtray.

Mr Rowan called the police on his mobile and waited for them to arrive.

Cross examined by Craig’s solicitor Elspeth Forrest, Mr Rowan accepted he had previously been found guilty of assaulting Jean Craig and making abusive phone calls to her.

Mr Rowan said she had “a volatile temper” and was “always lifting things”, but accepted that he too had a “volatile” temper.

Mr Rowan said he had consumed two pints of beer before returning to Craig’s home that day.

He had gone to the pub, he said, because he did not wish to walk home in the rain.

When he got home there had been an argument, but no shouting or swearing.

Ms Forrest put it to Mr Rowan that her client didn’t keep well and was “very excitable”, and he agreed.

Mr Gildea asked Mr Rowan about he efforts made by Craig to find the house keys. He replied: “She was looking for the keys, but couldn’t find them”.

He asked him if she got them from her bag and he replied: “I don’t know.”

A police officer told the court when he and a colleague arrived at the house at about 4.20pm they could see Mr Rowan on the couch “extremely agitated and upset”.

He said there was blood on Rowan’s face and he was not being allowed to leave. The officer asked Craig to open the door, but she refused.

Around 10 to 15 minutes later when PC Elder tried to open the door by pushing it Craig took the key out of her handbag and let the officers in.

Once inside, the constable said they noticed blood on the coffee table and that Craig’s right hand had been cut.

Officers found a broken crystal ashtray from a bag in the kitchen.

Craig admitted two charges of breaching a bail condition forbidding her to contact Mr Rowan.

Ms Forrest said Craig had a “difficult life” and had moved to Strathaven from East Kilbride to get away from the complainer.

She said Mr Rowan had made phone calls to her client asking her to come to East Kilbride to spend time with him.

Calls had been made from Mr Rowan’s work number and she had returned the calls.

Sheriff Ray Small noted Craig had spent two nights in custody for the assault and abduction, and three days for the phone calls.

He added: “In all the circumstances that’s more than enough punishment. I’m prepared to admonish you on [all the charges].”