A MAN who attacked a woman on two occasions in an ‘abhorrent’ show of violence – leaving her with bruises and post-traumatic stress disorder – has been jailed for two years.
Mark John Bartlett (28) initially denied the offences before, a couple of hours into his trial, pleading guilty to two counts of grave and criminal assault.
The incidents took place in March and April 2020, with the first assault being the more severe according to Deputy Bailiff Robert MacRae, presiding.
Advocate Simon Thomas, prosecuting, said: ‘In the early part of 2020, the messaging between the defendant and [the woman] shows, on several occasions, admissions by the defendant that he struggles to control his temper and that he has treated [the woman] badly. The defendant accepts abusive name calling and, as he put it, ‘kicking off’ when he loses his temper.
‘Often the defendant would express himself in contrite terms when this had happened and indicate that he was unable to control his anger.’
The court heard that during the first assault, Bartlett had strangled the woman and hit her in the face several times.
‘Her friend said to her that her face was purple and oozing. She told her friend that she had an argument and that had caused the injuries,’ said Advocate Thomas.
A few weeks later, following an argument, Bartlett threw his victim against a wardrobe, causing it to break.
Advocate David Steenson, defending, said: ‘The abhorrent nature of what Mr Bartlett has done, he has accepted. He is sorry and he is here to accept his medicine.’
The advocate added that it was a ‘convenient retort’ to suggest that Bartlett was not remorseful and that although previous similar cases had resulted in non-custodial sentences, he accepted that a jail sentence would be handed down by the court.
‘I know times have changed, but for a man with two jobs and an excellent work record, not long ago a lawyer would have been asking for a community sentence,’ Advocate Steenson said.
Delivering the court’s sentence, Deputy Bailiff Robert Macrae, presiding, said that ‘the general abhorrence and the need to deter others has led to penalties to increase’ for violent assaults of this nature.
Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Denis McGee said: ‘The victim in this case showed an immense amount of bravery and determination to see this through to the end.
‘We want to assure victims that there are several agencies which are in a position to offer them support and guidance.’
