Greenock man convicted of assaults and domestic abuse

Colin McIver’s multiple offences, committed decades apart, include punching his heavily pregnant former partner on the stomach and repeatedly choking a now-deceased ex.

The 52-year-old, who was said to have ‘terrorised’ one of his victims, was found guilty of three indictment charges following the conclusion of a week-long trial at Greenock Sheriff Court on Wednesday.

McIver, who claimed that the allegations against him were a "conspiracy", seized and compressed one woman’s neck before dragging her along the floor in her home by her hair in 1999.

He also threw a bottle of Tesco branded juice – striking the woman on the chest – after erupting in anger when she had been asked to buy him Fanta orange.

Colin McIver (Image: NQ)

Another victim, who has since died, said in her police statements that McIver thought she was a ‘free ride’ and had ‘only moved in with me for free food’.

The court heard evidence that the woman believed McIver would kill her during one violent outburst, with the thug, of Mill Street, subjecting her to a course of abusive behaviour between August 2019 and February 2020.

The first witness in the case told the jury last week that McIver was "clever enough not to make marks" and referred to an argument during which he "flew off the handle", pinned her against a wall and squeezed her throat "just enough to leave a red mark but not enough to leave a bruise".

On another occasion, the witness said she felt ‘frightened’ and ran out of the house with one of her children before McIver launched a chair belonging to the youngster from a veranda, scattering pieces of broken wood around the fleeing pair.

READ MORE: Domestic assaults accused Greenock man 'terrorised' former partner, trial told

She told the court: “I just ran because I wasn’t sure what was happening next.”

McIver’s catalogue of assaults, committed at addresses in Greenock and Port Glasgow, included throwing a vacuum cleaner at another woman from the top of a set of stairs inside a block of flats.

It was also agreed by prosecutors and his defence team that McIver assaulted a fourth woman, also an ex-partner, in June 2019, though the details of that offence were not listed as a charge on the indictment.

Greenock Sheriff Court (Image: NQ)

In her closing statement, procurator fiscal depute Maria Murdoch said the evidence presented during the trial had "transported [the jury] to a dark world of domestic abuse" and "brutal and sustained assaults" perpetrated by McIver.

She said: “[One witness statement] described the accused as having ‘pure evil in his eyes’.

“He [McIver] wishes you to believe that none of this happened, that the complainers are not telling the truth and, to use his own words, it is a conspiracy.”

READ MORE: Jury hears alleged domestic abuse victim thought Greenock man would 'kill' her

The fiscal depute said that there were "changing positions" throughout McIver’s evidence and referred to ‘similarities’ in his behaviour over a 25-year period.

Addressing the jury, defence advocate Iain Smith said that he did not recall McIver using the word "conspiracy", but claimed he was "set up" by the complainers.

He said the witnesses had "completely different stories" regarding some of the reported incidents but conceded that the relationship between McIver and the first complainer was "volatile" and that had led to ‘a lot of arguments’.

McIver, who is now facing the prospect of a jail term, has a criminal record which dates back to 1997 and includes previous convictions for domestic offences.

Sheriff Sheena Fraser (Image: NQ)

The jury of eight men and seven women took around two hours to reach unanimous guilty verdicts on two of the three charges, with a majority verdict returned on the other.

Sheriff Sheena Fraser deferred sentencing until September 17 and called for background reports to be prepared.

McIver will remain on bail until then.