Scots domestic abuse thug caged for controlling girlfriend's social media and attacking dog

A thug who controlled his girlfriend's social media accounts and abused a dog during a campaign of abuse has been jailed.

Christopher McMenamin isolated the woman from friends and family, accessed and monitored her online activities, and demanded money from her.

He also attacked a dog and assaulted her on a number of occasions during a reign of terror and was jailed at the High Court in Glasgow today.

The court heard McMenamin physically, mentally and sexually abused the victim in Annan and Dumfries, both Dumfries and Galloway, between 2023 and 2024.

He regularly shouted, swore and acted aggressively towards her, made derogatory remarks about her and threatened her with violence.

He monitored and controlled where she went and how she communicated with others, and demanded money from her.

She also performed sex acts on her without her consent, and on one occasion slapped her on the head, leaving her injured.

On another occasion, he grabbed a phone from her grasp and threw it, with the handset hitting a wall and breaking.

Another time, he smashed a glass and punched a wall, causing damage to both, before grabbing her house key and refusing to return it unless she gave him money.

On another occasion he hit her with a bottle he threw, and on another he grabbed her by the body and repeatedly pushed her, leaving her injured.

Another incident saw him grabbing a dog by the collar and throwing the pet, and he also threatened to phone her employer.

He told her that he would make derogatory comments to her bosses unless she gave him money.

He was convicted of engaging in a course of conduct which was abusive of his partner, in breach of Section 1 of the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018.

McMenamin returned to the dock today, Thursday, April 9, 2024, to be sentenced over the offences.

He was jailed for 23 months, backdated to May 5 last year, when he was first remanded in custody.

The sentence was reduced from 30 months as he admitted his guilt.

He was also made the subject of a supervised release order, which will see him monitored in the community for 12 months when he is released from custody.

He was also made the subject of a 10-year-long Non-Harassment Order, banning him from approaching or contacting the victim.