Fife woman urges others to act on domestic abuse ‘inkling’ after terrifying knife attack

A Fife brute has been jailed for more than two years for multiple attacks on a woman, who urged others to act on any “inkling” they might have about domestic abuse.

In one terrifying incident, Ewan Morrison knelt over Annette Johnston and stabbed the mattress next to her head after she found out he had been sleeping with a Norwegian bar worker.

He later choked his victim to the point she nearly passed out after she challenged him about his mistress and ripped up his passport.

Ms Johnston, then in her 20s, suffered a broken eye socket and needed surgical reconstruction following a further attack.

At Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court, Sheriff Steven Borthwick jailed Morrison for 27 months and banned him from contacting the woman indefinitely and from entering her hometown of Thornton for life.

Speaking to The Courier after sentencing, Ms Johnston said: “For me, it’s not about the punishment.

“I’m comfortable in the knowledge now he won’t be going and doing this to anyone else, and these things will stay on his record and there are also things like Clare’s Law.

“Two years is not that long but he will be out again and this way he will have learned a lesson and maybe won’t kill someone.”

Multiple attacks

Morrison, formerly of Thornton, earlier pled guilty to assaulting Ms Johnston on various occasions to her severe injury, permanent disfigurement and permanent impairment, between January 2009 and December 2014.

The 42-year-old also admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner on occasions between October 2010 and December 2014.

Prosecutor Sarah Smith told the court previously Ms Johnston had been made aware her then-partner, who had returned home from working abroad, was having an affair with a barmaid in Norway and as an argument broke out, he pushed her onto the bed.

He knelt over her “screaming he was going to kill her” while hold holding a knife above her, before stabbing the mattress to the side of her head.

The following month, she confronted Morrison about persistent phone calls from the woman but he “laughed it off” and called her crazy.

She threw a glass and ripped up his passport and he responded by pushing her against a wall and putting both hands round her neck and squeezing.

The court heard she tried to fight back but began feeling weak and started to slide down the wall and almost lost consciousness.

On another occasion in 2012 he punched the woman’s head, leaving her with a fractured eye socket and surgical reconstruction was required.

In 2014, Morrison told the woman she was “damaged goods” and wished she was dead before throwing her to the floor and punching her numerous times to the arms and body.

She needed surgery to fix a fractured thumb.

As a result she has a scarred face and thumb, which has permanently limited ability.

‘Really look’ for abuse signs

The now 37-year-old mum, who works full time, said: “I want to say, look at your daughters, nieces, friends and sisters – really look.

“It’s one in three women (subjected to domestic abuse).

“The guys doing this are out in their communities – brothers, pals, they are not living in a vacuum.

“Say something, even if you get an inkling.”

Ms Johnston said she will struggle to trust anyone ever again.

She said the abuse happened in a period where things might have “looked perfect” from the outside but in reality she felt she had to perform.

“It’s put to you that you are not doing well enough and, if you do better, it will stop”.

After one of the attacks, she said she sat at home for three-and-a-half hours with a broken thumb because she did not feel worthy of getting an ambulance.

She added: “That’s the way women think about themselves.

“It’s all Machiavellian behaviour – gaslighting and manipulation”.

Asked if she had a message for Morrison, she said: “Quite honestly, he’s wasted enough of my time and I have got a future to get on with”.

Sentencing

Defence lawyer Kerr Sneddon said Morrison had a “relatively brief record”.

After being convicted of domestic offences since this conduct, Morrison has completed the Caledonian Men’s Programme aimed at rehabilitating domestic offenders.

Mr Sneddon said: “He’s currently single and has no interest in pursuing a future relationship.

“All in all, he’s facing up to everything.”

Sheriff Steven Borthwick said: “I have to take into account the very severe level of violence that you inflicted.

“Ultimately, the recommendation of the social worker is that there is no appropriate community disposal.

“I take the view that there’s no alternative to a custodial sentence.”

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