Tain policeman ordered to undertake community payback order
A POLICE officer from Tain whose violent behaviour put his partner in fear of her life, has been sentenced to a community payback order (CPO).
John Forsyth (47), forced his partner to the floor, covered her mouth and nose with his hand and threatened to kill both her and himself, Tain Sheriff Court heard yesterday.
Forsyth has 19 years’ service but is currently signed off sick and his future with Police Scotland is uncertain.
The couple fell out early on 16th January after his partner blamed him because she did not have a clean shirt for work, procurator fiscal Alison Wylie told the court.
They did not speak that day and the following day communicated by text messages.
Ms Wylie said: “She berated him for not doing enough for her and doing more for others. There appears to have been text messages back and forth about household chores.”
The simmering argument erupted into violence around 5.30pm on 17th January after his partner told Forsyth to leave the house.
Ms Wylie said: “He pushed her on to a leather couch, pointed in her face and shouted and swore at her.
“She went to sit in another couch but the accused approached her shouting and swearing in her face, calling her names and making derogatory sexual comments.
“She got up again and he grabbed her and put her on the floor. She said he did it the way a police officer would put someone on the ground.
“He put his hand on her mouth and nose and said he was going to kill her and then himself.
“She was unable to breath and was genuinely in fear of her life.”
Forsyth got up and his partner made for the kitchen. He followed her and kicked the kitchen table towards her. She then went upstairs with her dog and locked herself in the bathroom.
Forsyth left the house but began sending text messages to his partner.
The fiscal said: “He was apologising and said goodbye and to tell his daughter that he loved her.”
Police arrived at the house at 8.50pm to find Forsyth’s partner in a “petrified state, crying inconsolably and shaking”. She did not want to be left alone.
Officers traced Forsyth at 4.40am on 18th January at a friend’s house in Inverness. He admitted the incident but said he did not mean the threats.
He appeared at a previous court to admit a charge of assault and another charge of threatening and abusive behaviour. Sentence was deferred until yesterday’s court for background reports.
Defence agent Ken Ferguson tried to postpone the case again for a psychiatric report but was overruled after Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood heard Forsyth was keen for it to go ahead.
Mr Ferguson said his client was a serving police officer but was off-duty at the time.
He said: “My client very much regrets his behaviour and appears today as a first offender. There are detailed background reports setting out his situation.
“He is currently living with his parents as a condition of bail and it does appear likely that the parties will reconcile.”
Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood queried Forsyth’s current employment status and the lawyer responded that he was off sick because of health difficulties. No final decision had been taken as to whether he could continue with Police Scotland.
Passing sentence, Sheriff Fleetwood said: “The report is in favour of a CPO and I can see no reason to depart from that. An attack of this sort is one which could attract a custodial sentence and a CPO is an alternative to that.”
Special conditions attached to the order require Forsyth to carry out 120 hours’ unpaid work; be under social work supervision for a year; and attend any domestic abuse programme as directed by social workers.
