A bully has been ordered to pay £1,000 to his former girlfriend after he admitted encouraging her to self-harm. Daniel Anderson told the woman that he hoped she would "do it properly next time" in reference to a suicide bid she had made.
Anderson was condemned by a sheriff on Wednesday for refusing to accept responsibility fully and instead blaming his vulnerable victim. The victim told a trial at Perth Sheriff Court that she had been left feeling suicidal after receiving the callous messages from her then boyfriend.
Sheriff Euan Duthie said: "This was resolved by a plea after the complainer and another witness had given evidence. I have to flag my concern from the social work report.
"I am extremely concerned that you have attempted to minimise the seriousness of the offence by putting blame on the victim's behaviour. Have no doubt - you are wholly to blame for the circumstances you find yourself in and the incident was entirely your fault."
He ordered Anderson to pay £1,000 compensation to his victim, as well as attending the Caledonian Project - which addresses domestic abuse - for two years. He was also placed under social work supervision for two years.
Anderson changed his plea during the trial to admit engaging in a course of domestic coercion against the woman between 12 November and 17 December 2020.
The 27-year-old, from Fechney Park, Perth, admitted sending text messages which encouraged her to self-harm, and told her not to take her medication. He admitted pulling her downstairs.
Solicitor Paul Ralph, defending, said: "It is not uncommon in these cases, which we are seeing more often. It is almost symptomatic for the abuser to justify to themselves on a day to day basis.
"He was intimating that she didn't need the medication and I think he has got himself in a fankle about that when speaking to the social worker. It was a genuine case of him not thinking through the consequences of what he was saying and the gravity of what he was doing.
"He's saying he wasn't encouraging her to take her own life."
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