Edinburgh man Fraser MacDonald faces jail for domestic abuse

Fraser MacDonald, 45, spent years attacking women who he supposedly cared for at addresses in West Lothian and Edinburgh.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how MacDonald would be consumed with rage with his partners over trivial matters.

The court was told he strangled his victims, causing them to fear that they were going to die.

MacDonald – whose parents are completely estranged from him – attacked his ex-wife one Christmas at the house they shared.

One woman had refused to give him sex when he was drunk.

This prompted him to pursue her into the bedroom where her mum was staying.

The court heard that whilst her mother was present, MacDonald threw her to the ground, repeatedly stamped on her and punched her repeatedly on the face.

The court heard that her mum said: “I think you’ve knocked her out.”

MacDonald replied: “Don’t worry. She always pretends she’s knocked out.”

Another victim told stunned police officers that MacDonald attacked her so many times that she couldn’t remember exact details of each time she was assaulted.

Prosecution lawyer Stephen O’Rourke told the court: “She couldn’t breathe and thought she was about to die. Initially, she struggled but then describes that had to had to play dead and hope he’d stop.

“Eventually, the accused let go of her and said something like ‘who do you think you are to spoil my night?’.”

MacDonald was finally brought to justice after one courageous victim plucked up enough courage to contact police. She had spent several years being physically abused.

Stunned detectives started investigating the thug’s activities and found that he had been doing the same thing to other former girlfriends.

MacDonald, of Seacot, pleaded guilty to domestic abuse offences before judge Lady Scott.

Advocate Depute Mr O’Rourke told the court that MacDonald was a serious offender.

He said: “The accused demonstrates a wide spectrum of abusive and controlling behaviour, all of which are typical of a domestically abusive dynamic.

“In the most serious aspects, however, the accused has perpetrated physical violence upon partners using manual strangulation.”

MacDonald also pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting a police officer and racially abusing another officer in Queen Street on August 16, 2015.

The judge deferred sentence on MacDonald to October 7.

He will be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh.

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