Dundee stalker jailed for almost two years
Man who stalked two single mums branded a 'jealous, violent and aggressive drunk.'
A violent stalker who subjected two single mums to "dreadful" abuse has been jailed for almost two years - after a sheriff told him: "Society will not tolerate domestic abuse.
Martin Gray - branded a "jealous, violent and aggressive drunk" by prosecutors - claimed he was the victim of a "conspiracy" and that two women had lied to land him in the dock.
A three-day trial before a jury at Dundee Sheriff Court heard from two of Gray's ex-partners, who told how they were both single mums when they met Gray in 2010 and 2013 respectively.
The court was told Gray was "controlling", "jealous", and "aggressive" - and that he would "regularly damage property" belonging to the women.
A jury took two hours to reject Gray's claims he was being framed and find him guilty of the sickening domestic abuse charges against him.
His first victim, said she had been the victim of a campaign of abuse by Gray between December 2010 and July 2013.
The trial heard how he bombarded her with calls and texts before shouting, swearing and calling her offensive and derogatory names.
Gray would punch walls and doors at their home and throw items around, damaging kitchen units, doors, walls and a bannister within the properties.
Then, in June 2013, he moved on to his second victim.
She told of an horrendous year of stalking at his hands that culminated in a brutal, violent attack in July 2014 that marked the end of their relationship.
Gray dictated to her what she was allowed to wear, hacked in to her social media and mobile phone accounts and searched her and her bag without her permission.
The jury heard Gray again bombarded the woman with calls and texts, shouted, swore and threatened violence to her.
As well as hacking in to her accounts, Gray took her phone from her, refused to give it back and "interrogated its contents" without her permission.
In one violent incident he grabbed her by the neck and choked her, and in another while within an address in Dundee he punched a hole in a wall and threw and kicked furniture.
On various occasions between August 2013 and July 2014 Gray assaulted his second victim, pinning her against a wall, throwing objects including glass bottles at her.
He grabbed her by the body, pushed her, tried to slam a door in her face, struck her on the forehead with the palm of his hand and "recklessly" threw a box against a wall, causing it to bounce back on to her to her injury.
Fiscal depute Eilidh Robertson, summing up the case for the Crown, told the court that Gray was a "jealous, violent and aggressive drunk".
She said: "Throughout the years he has consistently acted in an abusive way, both physically and mentally, towards his partners. Things would be good at the start of the relationship. Things would move quickly. Then gradually he would become controlling, controlling their social lives, their relationships with their families, their appearance. This mental abuse would lead on to physical abuse, pushing, grabbing, throwing things at them. All happening in the main behind closed doors, away from prying eyes, as is so often the case in crimes of this nature."
Gray, 33, from Dundee, had denied five charges on indictment - including two of stalking, two of assault to injury and one under the Communications Act.
A jury took two hours to convict him of both stalking charges and of the assaults on his second victim.
They returned a not proven verdict in relation to the assaults on his first victim, while the Communications Act charge was withdrawn before the case went to the jury.
Defence solicitor David Sinclair said: "He is now married to another woman who has been a rock to him and is standing by him whilst he is in custody."
Sheriff Tom Hughes jailed Gray for one year and eleven-and-a-half months. He said: "In the background reports you are still putting some of the blame for this on your former partners. This is just not acceptable. The tide has turned - in the past men may well have thought it was OK to abuse partners or former partners and blame it on drink. That's no longer acceptable and society has made it quite clear they won't tolerate this behaviour."