Faslane Policeman Convicted Of Domestic Abuse

A policeman who guarded Britain's nuclear subs is facing jail after being convicted of domestic abuse charges dating back 15 years.

Andrew Richardson blackened his wife's eye and in a separate incident years later kicked his lover six times in the stomach, a court heard.

Richardson, 46, branded "plausible and manipulative" by both women, assaulted his girlfriend in 2011 after accusing her of texting another man, and had punched his wife in front of her own mother in 1999.

The earlier incident came to light after his girlfriend reported him to police - and officers from the Police Scotland domestic abuse investigation unit began to probe his previous relationships.

Richardson, a sergeant in the Ministry of Defence Police, helped run security at RNAD Coulport in Argyll, the storage and loading facility for the United Kingdom's stock of Trident nuclear warheads and at Faslane, home to Britain's four Vanguard-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines.

He was suspended when the allegations came to light, and now faces certain dismissal.

Sheriff Gillian Wade deferred sentence until May 26th for background reports and, continuing his bail, warned Richardson to stay away from both women in the meantime.