Abuser's pal steps in as thug grabs ex by throat in Cumbernauld

Gary Henderson, 33, was jailed for 38 months after he admitted two assaults on his ex-partner.

Airdrie Sheriff Court heard that on one occasion, he put his arm around the woman's neck and applied pressure.

Henderson's pal stepped in to stop the assault, which happened at the woman's then-home in Cumbernauld on July 17 last year.

Jack Lindsay, prosecuting, said the couple had been in an on-off relationship that ended in 2022 after eight years.

After they split, the woman let Henderson stay with her sometimes, and on the night of this assault, he turned up with a friend whom he said had been attacked.

An argument soon started, and Henderson became violent. When police arrived, the woman was "in distress" and had red marks on her neck.

Henderson then breached bail conditions by going to his ex-partner's new home, also in Cumbernauld, on January 4.

She agreed to let him sleep on the couch, but another row ended with him punching her, giving her a bloodied nose.

Henderson has been in custody since his arrest on that occasion.

Sheriff Derek Livingston backdated the 38-month sentence to January 5 and said Henderson will be under supervision for a year when he is released from prison.

He told the accused: "The courts have been taking a fairly dim view of the compression of throats recently."

The sheriff also imposed a five-year non-harassment order.

In April, the Crown Office revealed that 50 per cent of domestic abuse victims have experienced non-fatal strangulation.

A spokesman said: "It is deeply concerning that the dangerous act of strangulation is increasingly prevalent.

"This is an extreme and distressing form of control and we are determined to tackle it."