A former girlfriend of a brazen Coatbridge brute who was jailed for two years for defying a court order meant to keep him away from an ex-partner has welcomed his sentence as "some form of relief".
Robert Logan, 41, described as a prisoner in Edinburgh, appeared from custody at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Monday, after admitting engaging in a course of conduct that caused fear or alarm to a woman he was in a relationship with.
The court heard it happened in November last year, shortly after Logan had been served with a non-harassment order forbidding any contact with the woman.
Sheriff Alasdair MacFadyen jailed Logan for two years, reduced from two years and eight months because his guilty pleas had spared his victim the ordeal of giving evidence at a trial, and imposed a fresh 10-year non-harassment order.
The sentence was backdated to November 22, as Logan has been in custody since then.
And a woman who used to be in a relationship with Logan has told Lanarkshire Live she is pleased he remains behind bars.
The Monklands woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: "It is a relief that he has been sentenced to prison time.
"I am pleased he is getting the help that he needs in jail and hope he continues to do so.
"I just don't want other women to have to endure any pain and suffering at his hands."
The woman says Logan was violent towards her while they were together and she "constantly lives in fear" of what might happen when he is out of prison.
She said: "I am sober four-and-a-half years; I used to drink heavily to block out the abuse.
“He’s left me with loads of bruises, as well as destroyed cars and smashed windows; there are a lot of bad memories.
“One time I came home after an AA meeting and he pulled me from the car and threw me down.
“I didn’t report him at first but over time the abuse started to affect my whole life so I contacted the police.
“It is the bane of my life. I’m constantly in fear of what might happen when he gets out of prison.
“Things have become more positive; I am now in a serious relationship and it’s night and day compared to my time with him."
The woman has also paid tribute to Women's Aid for the support it offered her during the worst moments of her troubled relationship with Logan.
She said: "“I want to thanks Women’s Aid for all of the support they have given me. I did a 12-week course with them where I wrote a journal inspired to help me take my own life back.
“I can’t recommend them enough; they have been a fantastic help.
“And Alcoholics Anonymous have been wonderful too. I wouldn’t have been able to get through everything without their support.
“I want to raise awareness of domestic abuse. For years I suffered and didn’t tell my family; I got really good at hiding bruises.
“I want people going through this to realise they can change their life for the better and move on if they talk to people and get support.”
To find out more about the support Women's Aid have to offer, visit here; further details on Alcoholics Anonymous is available online.
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