Man 'terrorised' five women over 17-year period of domestic abuse ...

A man has been warned he could face a life sentence after he admitted a string of domestic violence against women he had relationships with over a 17-year period.

Bruce Balfour, 39, admitted assaulting five woman leaving three of them bearing scars when he appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh on Thursday.

Balfour attacked two of the women when they were pregnant with his children leaving one victim pleading with him to stop as she feared for the unborn baby's well being. He also spat on victims and barked a command at one woman as if he was talking to a dog

When Balfour was interviewed by police last year over the allegations he dismissed them as "rubbish" and "nonsense".

A judge told him: "You have pled guilty to a multitude of serious assaults on women with whom you had relationships over many years."

Lord Tyre told him at the High Court in Edinburgh: "You have terrorised these women."

The judge ordered a detailed risk assessment to be prepared on Balfour which can lead to the imposition of an Order for Lifelong Restriction.

Under such a court order a judge sets a minimum jail term to be served but any future release is left to the parole authorities.

Defence counsel Herbert Kerrigan QC said: "I have to accept this is an appalling catalogue of incidents over a significant period of time."

But Mr Kerrigan had urged the judge to call for a social enquiry report before sentencing with the possibility of imposing an extended sentence, involving custody followed by a period of supervision.

He said that unemployed Balfour, of no fixed abode, had a problem with alcohol and anger management.

Balfour met his first victim Nicola Wood in 1993 shortly before her 18th birthday and moved in with her at a flat in Markinch, in Fife.

Advocate depute Alison Di Rollo said: "The relationship was volatile, but for the first six months he was not violent."

But after a night out in 1994 an argument broke out over the attention she had attracted from other men at a party and Balfour head butted her in the face, breaking her nose.

The prosecutor said the assault victim repeatedly tried to end the relationship after initially taking him back.

Ms Di Rollo said: "When she was in the later stages of pregnancy he grabbed her by the hair and pulled her into the living room before straddling her with his weight on her stomach, seizing her by the throat and repeatedly punching her on the head, leaving her pleading."

In 2003 Balfour struck up a relationship with a 15-year-old girl, who cannot be identified, in Glenrothes. He had also begun a relationship with Lynne Morrison, who he had first met when she was 20 in 1999, but from 2004 she suffered regular physical abuse at his hands while living in Glenrothes.

Ms Di Rollo said that in one incident in 2008 he went into a bedroom with a wine bottle and dragged her from the bed and hit her on the forehead with the bottle and punched and butted her. The victim's arm was broken during the assault.

Between 2007 and 2011 Balfour assaulted another woman Louisa Bilsland with whom he had a relationship and who had returned to live at a cottage in Fife.

The prosecutor said: "She states that he treated her badly by calling her names, spitting at her, standing nose to nose with her during arguments, prodding her on the shoulder and pulling her hair."

When she was pregnant he grabbed her by the hair and threw her to the floor screaming at her before demanding she driving him to Auchtermuchty.

During the journey he punched her in the eye. He later attacked her again slapping her face and grabbing her by the neck restricting her breathing.

In 2009 he met Hazel Richardson, who was living in Glenrothes, but after initial violence-free weeks of their relationship he punched and head butted her and spat on her face.

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Source: http://news.stv.tv/tayside/113537-man-terrorised-five-women-over-17-year-period-of-domestic-abuse/

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