A woman who ended her relationship with a 'relentless monster' after he threw lit cigarettes at her while she was pregnant endured six years of horrific abuse, culminating in her stalker being jailed.
Darren Duthie, 30, subjected his former partner to a sustained campaign of violence and harassment, including pouring petrol through her letterbox and sending vile messages threatening to mutilate her in front of her young daughter.
The Abuse Unfolds
The couple had been in a relationship since 2020 before Duthie became controlling and violent. He followed his victim from Edinburgh to Manchester, and in 2021, he nearly petrol bombed her home, forcing a block of flats to be evacuated. In 2022, he broke into her home and attacked her with a knife in the middle of the night. A year later, he smashed up her mother's grave and attacked her with a hammer.
While in prison in March 2024 for domestic abuse, Duthie used an illegal phone to send a harrowing message from his cell, threatening to mutilate her and make her daughter watch. The victim was issued a threat-to-life warning by Edinburgh Police and fled to Manchester with her children, taking only 'one suitcase and a backpack each'.
Continued Harassment
Despite a restraining order, Duthie continued to contact her using withheld numbers and a fake Facebook account named 'British Britannia'. He sent messages wishing she 'got breast cancer' and saying 'I've got it in me to kill you'. In September last year, he smashed her kitchen window and shouted outside her home. He was later arrested.
Victim Impact Statement
Reading her victim personal statement, the woman said her mother, who also suffered domestic abuse, took her own life after receiving 'no help from the justice system'. She described six years of abuse, including broken bones, scars from weapons, and stalking. 'He is relentless, he'll never stop or give up. I pray the justice system here helps us,' she said.
Sentencing
Judge Kate Cornell described Duthie as 'an abuser' who poses 'a significant risk of serious harm'. She sentenced him to 10 years, comprising six years imprisonment and a four-year extended licence. He must serve two-thirds of the six-year term before parole consideration.
Duthie, of Ferry Road Drive, Edinburgh, was previously convicted of criminal damage and stalking involving fear of violence.
